These films were shot in the town of Aq Kupruk, Balkh Province, approximately 320 miles northwest of Kabul at 2,200 feet altitude. The area was inhabited by Tajik and other Central Asian peoples and its economy consisted primarily of wheat and livestock. See previews of each film below; the full versions are owned by DER, and are available for purchase here, or may be requested in your local institution’s media center. The essays accompanying each film can be downloaded here.
Film Descriptions
An Afghan Village
A collage of daily life in Aq Kupruk builds from the single voice that calls the townspeople to prayer, the brisk exchange of the bazaar, communal labor in the fields, and the uninhibited sports and entertainment of rural Afghans. The theme of the film focuses on rural society. The film and accompanying essay explore concepts of development, modernization, environmental equilibrium, and especially change, identifying change agents, and analyzing barriers and stimulants to change. (Teaching Guide)
Naim and Jabar
The hopes, fears, and aspirations of adolescence are expressed in the close friendship of two Afghan boys. As their acceptance of the filmmakers leads them to express their feelings more and more openly, the film grows rich in fact and themes of universal concern. The theme of the film focuses on education and socialization. The film and accompanying essay examine formal and informal learning systems, and how they are changing. Particular attention is paid to Naim and Jabar’s family and kinship structure, and more broadly to educational policies in the developing world.
Wheat Cycle
The people and their labor are bound to the land in the sowing and harvesting of wheat. Without narration or subtitles, the film conveys a sense of unity between the people and their environment. The film focuses on rural economics, with a particular focus on the impact of technological change and human adaptation. (Teaching Guide)
Afghan Women
The words of the women and the rhythm of their lives in the seclusion of family compounds suggests both the satisfying and the limiting aspects of a woman’s role in a rural Afghan community. The film and accompanying essay examine the economic, political, religious, and educational status of women, their legal and customary rights, and the degree of change in their actual and perceived roles. (Teaching Guide)
Afghan Nomads: The Maldar
At dawn a nomad caravan descends on Aq Kupruk from the foothills of the Hindu Kush. In their camp, and in commerce with the townspeople, the Maldar reveal the mixture of faith and distrust that has kept nomads and sedentary people separate and interdependent over the centuries. (Teaching Guide)
Photo Gallery
The 1972 film production in Afghanistan included a still photography project in both black and white and color. The original negatives are held at the Smithsonian. Click below for a selection of these photographs, mainly shot in and around Aq Kupruk. Captions to come.
Bibliographical References:
- “An Afghan Village” (44 minutes). Filmmakers Herbert DiGioia and David Hancock. Producer Norman Miller. Documentary Educational Resources, Watertown, MA, 1974.
- “Naim and Jabar” (50 minutes). Filmmakers Herbert DiGioia and David Hancock. Producer Norman Miller. Documentary Educational Resources, Watertown, MA, 1974.
- “Wheat Cycle” (16 minutes). Filmmakers Herbert DiGioia and David Hancock. Producer Norman Miller. Documentary Educational Resources, Watertown, MA, 1974.
- “Afghan Women” (17 minutes). Filmmakers Herbert DiGioia and David Hancock. Producer Norman Miller. Documentary Educational Resources, Watertown, MA, 1974.
- “Afghan Nomads: The Maldar” (21 minutes). Filmmakers Herbert DiGioia and David Hancock. Producer Norman Miller. Documentary Educational Resources, Watertown, MA, 1974.