Love City, Jalalabad
Synopsis
In 1964, when Bob Dylan released “The Times They Are a-Changin’”, the song helped start a youth revolution. 50 years later, the youth of Jalalabad, Afghanistan have had enough gloom and doom and want to use their creativity to bring freedom and joy. Their first step is to rename Jalalabad to Love City by parading a billboard through the streets, proclaiming it a place of love and no more war.
This is the beginning of an amazingly joyous ride, as the group attempts to take their Cinema Circus to the notoriously militant Tora Bora mountains. Along the way, a 19 year old actor becomes the first female director of a Pashtun film; a 9 year old girl, Medina, becomes a movie star and a young actor tries to use his art to convince the family of the girl he loves, to agree to their wedding. Regularly the group encounters the forces of darkness, corruption and ignorance, but their optimism sees them safely through.
LOVE CITY, JALALABAD is a feelgood movie which will reaffirm your hope for Afghanistan and that love can succeed where war fails.
Credits
Director:
George Gittoes. Co-director: Torstein Grude
Producer:
Torstein Grude
Editor:
Nick Meyers
Original Music:
Meena Gul & Group, Afghanistan; Aamant Ali Khan & Group, Pakistan
Written by:
George Gittoes, Torstein Grude
DOP:
George Gittoes, Ijaz Awan, Waqar Alam, Khurram Shahzad, Torstein Grude
Cast
George Gittoes
Hellen Rose
Arshad Khan
Alia Ali Mir (Neha)
Sidra Ali
Masooma Sara Khan
Nelam Khan
Amir Shah Talash
Mashooq Shahdab
Production details
Original title
Love City, Jalalabad
Year
2013
Length
98
Language
Pashto, English
Subtitles
English
Format
DCP, HDCam, BetaCam, Blu-ray, DVD
Production company
Piraya Film. Co-production: Gittoes Productions and Unicorn Films
Production country
Norway, Australia
Sales/Distribution
International Sales: Kudos Family. Festival Distribution: The Norwegian Film Institute
Website
www.piraya.no
Awards & Festivals
Awards:
The Norwegian Short Film Festival, Grimstad, 2014, Honourable Mention, Norwegian Documentary Competition
Amanda Award 2014 nominee, Best Norwegian Documentary
Winter Film Awards Indie Film Festival, New York, 2015, Winner, Best Documentary and Winner, Most Socially Aware Film
Festivals:
Sydney Film Festival, Jun 7, 2013 (World Premiere)
Bergen International Film Festival, Oct 2013
EuroDok, Oslo, Mar 21, 2014 (World Premiere, Director’s Cut)
Kapittel, Stavanger, Sep 19, 2014