Osama (2003)

The Taliban are ruling Afghanistan, they being a repressive regime especially for women, who, among other things, are not allowed to work. This situation is especially difficult for one ... See full summary »

Director:

Siddiq Barmak

Writer:

Siddiq Barmak

Stars:

Marina Golbahari, Arif Herati, Zubaida Sahar

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 14 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Marina Golbahari	...	Osama
Arif Herati	...	Espandi
Zubaida Sahar	...	Mother
Mohamad Nader Khadjeh
Mohamad Haref Harati
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gol Rahman Ghorbandi
Khwaja Nader
Hamida Refah

Storyline

The Taliban are ruling Afghanistan, they being a repressive regime especially for women, who, among other things, are not allowed to work. This situation is especially difficult for one family consisting solely of three women representing three successive generations. All the males in their family have died in various Afghani wars. The mother had been working as a nurse in a hospital, but regardless of she not being allowed to work, the Taliban has cut off funding to the hospital. The mother and grandmother make what they feel is the only decision they can to survive: they will have the preteen daughter masquerade as a boy so that she can get a job to support the family. The daughter, feeling powerless, agrees despite being scared as if the Taliban discover her masquerade, she is certain they will kill her. Partly as a symbolic measure, the daughter plants a lock of her now cut hair in a pot so that her lost femininity can flourish. The only people outside the family who know of the ...

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Plot Keywords:

taliban | boy | hospital | girl | military training | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

Afghanistan Ireland Japan

Language:

Dari Pushto English

Release Date:

27 June 2003 (Afghanistan)

Also Known As:

Gia mia thesi ston ilio

Filming Locations:

Kabul, Afghanistan

Box Office

Budget:

$46,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$51,969 (USA) (6 February 2004)

Gross:

$1,127,331 (USA) (23 April 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Barmak Film, LeBrocquy Fraser Productions, NHK

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Siddiq Barmak was helped in the making of his film by leading Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf who gave him $100,000 funding and the 35mm cameras and equipment he needed. Makhmalbaf also persuaded his regular cinematographer Ebrahim Ghafori to work on the project.

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Connections

Featured in Osama: Sharing Hope and Freedom (2004)

User Reviews

Can life be worse?

The Director is taking through us a 80 minutes journey through the eyes of a 13 year old girl in Afghanistan under the taliban...

The landscape full of limestone .....and the people unfortunate enough to have born into the wrong time....

barren land and lives.....

where every other woman is a widow and every other mother is a living tomb.......

Please listen to the soundtrack carefully.... especially the background score.... its really important..... it starts off with an iron swing..... ends with the sound of skipping rope hitting the ground.... Masterful.

I bet that after the movie, you will go and kiss your young daughter. You sure will.

My salute to the director who mesmerised me the whole 80 minutes....

saw this movie in 8th international film festival of kerala in 2003 where It got a grand applause.

This was the first movie made in post taliban regime in afghanistan. Truly commendable.

My 9 out of 10.