Saw this today at TIFF. The documentary is actually somewhat emotional, in that you can feel the ideals, the respect, the openness, and the doubts from that of the director or it's protagonists, through the structure of the movie. But then again the guy beside me nodded off.
The doc combines more or less 5 different journeys/stories, if you will - and some surprises. One is of the re-telling from an Al-Jazzera's journalist; another from the perspective of an French archaeologist; a Canadian/Afghani actress; a local Afghani that lived in the Bamiyan valley; and the director's POV.
*** possible spoilers**** The style mixes personal accounts, videos, pictures, and memories, of and on anything related to the 2 Giant Buddhas that was destroyed by the Talibans. These methods are like any conventional docs. These methods, through the 5 journeys give the documentary many personal levels/angles of emotional points of entry. And the camera, the music, the silences together regards the valley with warmth and respect. There are back stories, legends, comparisons, future plans that encompasses and paints a multi-dimensional sphere of sentiment on the subject. And there is even a brief use of FX to convey a dream sequence (the director pointed out).
In the Q&A, the director indicated he will go back to the region to show the film, with an Arabic track (credit shows a German and English narrator versions), and as well as interpretors for the illiterates.
The doc combines more or less 5 different journeys/stories, if you will - and some surprises. One is of the re-telling from an Al-Jazzera's journalist; another from the perspective of an French archaeologist; a Canadian/Afghani actress; a local Afghani that lived in the Bamiyan valley; and the director's POV.
*** possible spoilers**** The style mixes personal accounts, videos, pictures, and memories, of and on anything related to the 2 Giant Buddhas that was destroyed by the Talibans. These methods are like any conventional docs. These methods, through the 5 journeys give the documentary many personal levels/angles of emotional points of entry. And the camera, the music, the silences together regards the valley with warmth and respect. There are back stories, legends, comparisons, future plans that encompasses and paints a multi-dimensional sphere of sentiment on the subject. And there is even a brief use of FX to convey a dream sequence (the director pointed out).
In the Q&A, the director indicated he will go back to the region to show the film, with an Arabic track (credit shows a German and English narrator versions), and as well as interpretors for the illiterates.