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

Presskit


Images

Driving Love City banner through Jalalabad

Ashid, George and monkey

George and monkey

Yellow House gang

Cinema Circus truck in village

Cinema Circus truck on the road

Love City, Jalalabad, - Director's Cut, international poster
Love City, Jalalabad, - Director's Cut, international poster


Other

LOVE CITY, JALALABAD poster pdf
poster pdf



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