Sundays, Aug. 6 - 27 at 11 p.m. on KPBS 2 / Stream now with KPBS Passport + Encore Mondays, Aug. 7 - 28 at 7 a.m. on KPBS 2
In the 1960s, Afghanistan was at peace, and King Mohammed Zahir Shah opened the country to the world. Kabul seemed like a European capital. Women had more freedom, and people lived in peace. It was a destination for hippies in search of cheap drugs and exotic adventures. Yet, under this surface, the country was at a crossroad: between East and West, Islam and Communism, modernity and tradition. When the communists seized power in the late 1970s, these contradictions exploded, and a series of wars began that has not yet ended.
AFGHANISTAN. THE WOUNDED LAND – in English narrated by Khaled Hosseini (author of "The Kite Runner") - looks at six decades of Afghan history through the eyes of those who were there: warriors and civilians, men and women. Their personal memories of the golden era, the Soviet occupation, the civil war, the Taliban regime, of 9/11 and its aftermath open new perspectives onto Afghanistan, its people and its destiny. These stories reflect in an unparalleled selection of archive footage, unearthed in Afghanistan, Russia and the Arab world. Thus, this documentary grants new insight into what went tragically wrong in the past - and what future is being hoped for.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1 “Kingdom” - In the 1960s, Afghanistan was divided between a westernized elite and a traditional, largely poor majority of the population. A communist revolution set these contradictions on fire. The series begins when Afghanistan was at peace, and the king opened the country to the world. At that time, Kabul looked like a European capital; the best hotels hosted beauty contests and fashion shows. It was a destination for hippies in search of cheap drugs and exotic adventures. But not everybody was comfortable with these changes. The nation was profoundly divided between a westernized elite and an illiterate and poor majority of the population. When the communists seized power in 1978, all the contradictions exploded, and a never-ending war began. Among our protagonists are: the brother of the last queen of Afghanistan, Homayoun Assefi; Miss Afghanistan 1972, Zohra Yousuf; the current Afghan Minister of Human Rights, Sima Samar; and Fahrid Mazdak, a former board member of the Afghan Communist Youth.
Episode 2 “Jihad” - In 1979, the Soviet army entered Afghanistan. In reaction to his, the Afghans called for Jihad against the godless invaders. The “Soviet Vietnam” began. In the 1980s, Afghanistan turned into the epicenter of a struggle between Islam and Communism and, at the same time, a battlefield of the Cold War. After the Soviet troops had reached Kabul, weapons and money from the United States and the Arab World were sent to the Afghan resistance. Also, foreign fighters joined the Jihad against the atheistic Soviets. A young Osama Bin Laden was among them. This war became “the Soviet Vietnam”. After 10 years of fighting, the Mujahideen pushed back the occupying troops, thus contributing to the collapse of Soviet Union. Protagonists include: Mujahideen commander Gulbuddin Hekmatyar; Soviet war hero Ruslan Aushev; former CIA chief of station in charge for Afghanistan, Milton Bearden.
Episode 3 “Taliban” - The Soviet army left Afghanistan, but the war continued between Mujahideen commanders. The country fell into chaos, until a new force emerged: the Taliban. While the Soviet Union disintegrated and the United States turned its attention to Iraq, the fighting in Afghanistan continued among different ethnic groups and Mujahideen factions. The war entered a new phase, an even more ruthless one: the Civil War. Amid the chaos, the Taliban emerged as a new force. With the support of Pakistan and the blessing of the clergy, the Taliban triumphed. Under their rule, Afghanistan became the laboratory for a new type of Islamic state and the training ground for Bin Laden's terrorist network. Among the main characters are Shukria Barakzai, who taught in clandestine school for girls; Heela Najibullah, the daughter of the last communist president of Afghanistan; and Nadia Ghulam, a girl who had to pretend to be a boy to feed her family during the Taliban era.
Episode 4 “Trap” - Following 9/11 and the overthrow of the Taliban, an international coalition tried to bring peace and democracy to Afghanistan. But hopes were short-lived. In Afghanistan, 9/11 began two days earlier when commander Massoud was assassinated; this was the first step of the attacks that Al Qaeda carried out in New York and Washington. The United States reacted by bombing and invading Afghanistan. When the troops from the largest military coalition in history arrived to secure stability and reconstruction, many Afghans hoped for a future of peace and democracy. Again, their expectations would soon be shattered. In this episode, among others, we follow the stories of US General Stanley McChrystal; of Taliban Minister of Finance Motasim; and of Nilufar Ibrahimi, who became a doctor and, later, one of the female members of the Afghan Parliament.
This series is now available to stream on demand with KPBS Passport!
The series will be available to stream on YouTube beginning Aug. 15, 2023.
Credits:
Written and directed by: Mayte Carrasco, Marcel Mettelsiefen. Series Producer and Co-Author: Lucio Mollica. Narrator: Khaled Hosseini. Executive Producer: Gunnar Dedio. Produced by: LOOKSfilm in co-Production with: NDR and Aljazeera Documentary Channel, CT, Format TVwith the support of: Creative Europe MEDIA, MDM in association with: DR, Knowledge Network, Mediawan Thematics for Toute L’Histoire, NRK, VPRO. 2020.
