Mina Walking
Mina Walking is a 2015 drama film written and directed by Yosef Baraki.[1] It was screened in the Generation 14plus section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival where it competed for the Crystal Bear.[2]
| Mina Walking | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Yosef Baraki |
| Produced by |
Andrew Korogyi Asef Baraki |
| Written by | Yosef Baraki |
| Screenplay by | Yosef Baraki |
| Starring | Farzana Nawabi |
| Music by | Vaheed Kaacemy |
| Cinematography | Yosef Baraki |
| Edited by |
Yosef Baraki Andrew Korogyi |
Production company |
Baraki Film |
Release dates | 12 February 2015 (Berlin) |
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | Afghanistan |
| Language | Dari |
The film follows a 12-year-old Afghan street seller named Mina as she tries to balance her education with her responsibly as the main breadwinner of the family.
Cast
- Farzana Nawabi as Mina
- Qadir Aryae as Omar
- Marina Golbahari as Teacher
- Safi Fanaie as Samir
- Massoud Fanaie as Bashir
- Hashmatullah Fanaie as Grandfather
Production
Yosef Baraki has stated that he was inspired to write the film after meeting with a group of child street sellers in Kabul. "What I noticed and [what] eventually led to writing this movie was the dynamic between them. In a country like Afghanistan it was interesting to see that the girls were making more money than the boys and were able to outsmart them. These children spent such a long time on the streets every day and didn’t go to school, either because they were orphaned or because war has affected their parents in a way that the children had to support the family."[3]
The film was shot on location in Kabul, Afghanistan in 19 days with a crew of 5-6 people. Only a few professional actors appear in the film. Baraki developed the character of Mina by placing Farzana Nawabi in real life situations and only feeding her parts of the script everyday. To capture real-life Kabul, the crew needed to shoot unnoticed. "Sometimes I would climb onto the roofs of buildings and shoot down with a long lens to capture Mina at the market without being seen. If there were too many people on the street, we would reduce the number of our crew if we were too noticeable. We were trying to blend in because we had to move forward, due to our tight budget and our short schedule. We could not afford to being told we can’t film somewhere, so we had to improvise."[4]
Awards and nominations
Berlin International Film Festival (2015)
- Nominated "Crystal Bear"[5]
- Nominated "Best First Feature" Award [6]
- Nominated "Amnesty Film Prize"[7]
Hot Docs International Film Festival (2015)
- Winner "Lindalee Tracey Award" [8]
Zlin International Film Festival (2015)
- Winner "Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention" [9]
- Winner "The Milos Macourek Award"
- Nominated "Golden Slipper"
SAARC Film Festival (2015)
- Winner "Best Actress Award"
Der Neue Heimatfilm Festival (2015)
- Winner "Best Film Award"
All Lights India International Film Festival (2015)
- NETPAC Award For The "Best Asian Cinema"
References
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4686979/ Internet Movie Database.
- ↑ https://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_26456.html Berlinale. January 14, 2015.
- ↑ http://nextprojection.com/2015/02/16/berlin-interview-mina-walkings-yosef-baraki/ Next Projection. Berlin: Interview with Mina Walking’s Yosef Baraki by Corina Rottger. February 16, 2015
- ↑ http://nextprojection.com/2015/02/16/berlin-interview-mina-walkings-yosef-baraki/ Next Projection. Berlin: Interview with Mina Walking’s Yosef Baraki by Corina Rottger. February 16, 2015
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4411456/awards?ref_=tt_awd Internet Movie Database.
- ↑ https://www.berlinale.de/en/das_festival/preise_und_juries/best_first_feature_award/index.html Berlinale. February 2015.
- ↑ http://www.european-news-agency.de/kunst_kultur_und_musik/16_berlinale_filme_fuer_amnesty_filmpreis_2015_nominiert-60555/ in German. February 6, 2015.
- ↑ http://www.hotdocs.ca/i/lindalee-tracey-award.
- ↑ http://www.zlinfest.cz/en/26009n-55th-zlin-film-festival-winning-films.