Barmak Akram’s film centers on a subject that is the stuff of soap opera—an unmarried young woman’s unanticipated pregnancy—but it is set in contemporary Afghanistan, where such an event can be ruinous to a family’s honor, giving the story particular force. Wajma (Wajma Bahar), a fairly liberated woman from a middle-class family, is preparing to go to law school, but also conducting a clandestine affair with Mustafa (Mustafa Habibi), a slick waiter from a well-to-do family. When Wajma informs Mustafa of her pregnancy, he dumps her, suggesting that the child is some other man’s, and after Wajma’s father (Hadji Gul) hears the news, he returns to Kabul from his job of sweeping the countryside of land mines and beats his daughter savagely for bringing shame on him. Although he also threatens Mustafa, there is little he can do legally to compel the cad to shoulder his responsibilities. The clear victim in all this is Wajma, who is caught between her desire to live a freer life and her father’s commitment to society’s traditions. The title, of course, is ironic, since love has nothing to do with the situation. Although the second half of the film becomes rather repetitive and hectoring, An Afghan Love Story does provide a glimpse into the culture of a country still bound by a repressive patriarchy. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
An Afghan Love Story
Film Movement, 83 min., in Persian w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $24.95 Volume 34, Issue 2
An Afghan Love Story
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