Meena Nanji's documentary traces the decline and disappearance of women's rights in Afghanistan, from the halcyon days of King Zahir Shah's rule in the progressive late 1960s and early 1970s to the dismal misogynist policies under the Taliban. The 2001 U.S.-led invasion and subsequent occupation of Afghanistan was heralded in the West as a step toward returning rights to women, but nearly seven years later that empowerment remains frustratingly elusive. Nanji interviews three women—a doctor, a teacher, and a political activist—in an attempt to understand the political, social, and religious issues that continue to frustrate attempts to create true democracy. View from a Grain of Sand works best as history, featuring rare footage of the modern capital city of Kabul during the Zahir Shah's reign, while also detailing how U.S. support for the fundamentalist rebels during the Soviet occupation actually helped create the chaos that continues today. Less successful, however, is the film's exploration of how the average Afghan woman lives, and Nanji's decision to focus on members of the higher sociopolitical urban echelon provides a skewed look at contemporary Afghanistan, where most of the population still lives in rural poverty. Women's studies and Central Asian studies collections should consider, but this is optional elsewhere. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
View from a Grain of Sand
(2006) 82 min. In Dari & Pashto w/English subtitles. DVD: $150: public libraries & high schools; $250: colleges & universities. Ecesis Films (dist. by New Day Films). PPR. ISBN: 978-1-57448-204-1. Volume 23, Issue 3
View from a Grain of Sand
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