The Land of the Enlightened (2016)

A gang of Afghan kids from the Kuchi tribe dig out old Soviet mines and sell the explosives to children working in a lapis lazuli mine. When not dreaming of the time when American troops ... See full summary »

Director:

Pieter-Jan De Pue

Writers:

Pieter-Jan De Pue (script), David Dusa (script)

Stars:

Gholam Nasir, Khyrgyz Baj, Noor

2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Gholam Nasir
Khyrgyz Baj
Noor
Zulfu
Koko Ewas
Koko Mullalih
Marina Golbahari
Sergei Kovinchenko	...	Himself
Devin A. Cleeves	...	US Soldier
Sohrab Nazari	...	Narrator

Storyline

A gang of Afghan kids from the Kuchi tribe dig out old Soviet mines and sell the explosives to children working in a lapis lazuli mine. When not dreaming of the time when American troops finally withdraw from their land, another gang of children keeps tight control on the caravans smuggling the blue gemstones through the arid mountains of Pamir.

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Plot Keywords:

reenactment | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Drama | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Belgium]

Country:

Belgium Ireland Netherlands Germany Afghanistan

Language:

Persian English

Release Date:

16 March 2016 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

Das Land der Erleuchteten

Box Office

Budget:

€1,220,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Savage Film, Fastnet Films, Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Color:

Color (Super 16mm) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

The Sea
Composed by Walter Hus
Courtesy of Walter Hus (2015)

User Reviews

Expensive documentary

-In this seamless blend of fictional and documentary form, we experience a stunning cinematic journey into the beauty of war-tormented Afghanistan. Shot over seven years on evocative 16mm footage, first-time director Pieter-Jan De Pue paints a whimsical yet haunting look at the condition of Afghanistan left for the next generation. As American soldiers prepare to leave, we follow De Pue deep into this hidden land where young boys form wild gangs to control trade routes, sell explosives from mines left over from war, and climb rusting tanks as playgrounds-making the new rules of war based on the harsh landscape left to them. De Pue's transportative and wonderfully crafted film confronts the visceral beauty and roughness of survival, serving as a testament to the spirited innovation of childhood and the extreme resilience of a people and country. - Sundance Film Festival Credits ***The fact that it took 7 years in order to film this documentary explains many why this documentary went so much higher than the initial budjet, but that a great deal of money would be assumed for the images showed raises objection.***