Good news! The Director has recently made the film available to educators and students on YouTube.
“Angels Are Made of Light” (2018), Documentary, Afghanistan, Directed by James Longley (117 min.). In Dari, Pashto, Arabic and English with English subtitles. Available to watch from anywhere in the world, free of charge.
What is daily life in Kabul like from the perspective of the regular people who live there? The Daqiqi Balkhi School is in ruins, but classes continue, during an interlude of peace. With beautiful cinematography, Longley paints nuanced, interwoven observational portraits of the day-to day struggles of young students, their teachers, parents and others in the community to bring us closer to the people we often see only as subjects of war. One of the boys says, “working in the tin shop, I was in a prison. When I told my mom, she said go study. I’m free now.” Their insightful voice-over narrations meld together to suggest one voice. The sociopolitical shifts of the modern history of Afghanistan (such as memories of the Kingdom, the communist revolution, the civil war), are elucidated with interspersed, captivating archival footage. Don’t miss this!
Official Selection, Toronto International Film Festival
“A vivid portrait of daily life in Kabul and a rich look into childhood. Finds a resilience among the most vulnerable of its characters.” — Screen Daily
“A superlative documentary. A powerful, thrillingly told rumination of life in wartime.” — Criterion Cast
Director James Longley: James is from Oregon, USA. His documentary films Iraq in Fragments (2007) and the short Sari’s Mother (2008), capture the aftermath of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. Both films were nominated for the Oscar. His first feature documentary, Gaza Strip (2002), focuses on the second Palestinian uprising. He won the Oscar for his student documentary Portrait of Boy with Dog (1994). He is a MacArthur Fellow.
See the recorded live discussion with "Angels are Made of Light" Director James Longley
Special guests from Afghanistan joined us!
Fakhrullah Safari has worked for the past 11 years with international NGOs in Afghanistan in various positions related to education management and education program development. His area of interest is to promote learner-centered approaches to teaching. He is currently doing a Master of Arts in Teaching at the American University of Central Asia.
Soheila Noori was born and raised in Kabul. Experiencing many challenges as a Hazara woman makes her a passionate advocate for women’s and minorities’ rights. She is currently a research assistant at the Elkana Center for Teaching, Learning, and Higher Education Research and an MA student in Economic Policy at Central European University.
Cinematic Spaces of Education Festivalette
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