In Her Hands

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Dinos K The best biopic I've ever seen. Afghanistan was a great Nation before being destroyed by US Army. That's the American "democracy" Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/12/24 Full Review Georgan G 3 & 1/4 stars. This documentary is about a brave Afghan woman who was a mayor until the Taliban took over when the US withdrew. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/16/23 Full Review Kenny M A haphazard political puff piece that takes entirely too much effort to watch. Confusing at times with a choppy flow of information. Words that came to mind while watching - manufactured, concocted, forced and artificial. But politics ARE involved, aren't they? Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 10/02/23 Full Review Shaun R I thought the film was well done. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/28/23 Full Review Nrsimhananda das A narrative movie could not have surpassed the extraordinary character development in this inspiring, yet deeply disturbing, profound quest for human dignity. Death shadows every action and word in front of and behind the camera. Sometimes I found myself wishing that these real people were actors; their ordeal is just too painful. The eye for detail and steadiness of gaze by the cinematographer captures an empathetic grasp of life staring down fear every moment of the day and night. The real human torment stemming from US policies in Afghanistan is agonizingly revealed. How the filmmakers were given such access to both sides in this conflict is a mystery. I am glad that I watched it; I gained strength from these people. Dogmas are such a scourge upon humanity. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/19/23 Full Review Paul A As "In Her Hands" (2022 release; 93 min) opens, it is August 15, 2021, as the Taliban overtake Kabul. We encounter a woman in distress, as she tells her husband "Either we go together, or we won't go at all". We then go to "January 2020. 19 Months Before The Fall of Kabul", and are introduced to the woman from the movie's opening scene. Turns out to be Zafari Ghafari, at 26 yo the youngest mayor in Afghanistan of a place called Maida Wardek, about 40 km away from Kabul. "Drop the weapon and take a pen", she encourages a crowd. She is "all in" on women's rights to education (among other things). The Taliban has issued death threats against her (of course!). At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary. Couple of comments: this documentary is directed by award-winning German director Marcel Mettelsiefen, who apparently embedded with Zarifa Ghatari for 2 1/2 years to bring us the extraordinary look at the life and times of people in Afghanistan, through the lens of this one brave woman, as they struggle in they day-to-day existence, dealing with never-ending threats of violence and worse from the Taliban. The movie also includes a look from within the Taliban, as we witness one of the Taliban commanders' coming and going. The documentary's last 30 minutes (when it all comes crashing down in the wake of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan) is jaw-dropping as we watch sheer misery and utter desperation. (Apparently it never leads anyone within the Taliban to wonder as they install a new order of terror which they claim is the "righteous" way of life, why millions of Afghans tried to flee the country in the worst possible of ways.) "In Her Hands" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September to immediate critical acclaim. The movie started streaming on Netflix in November. If you want to get a glimpse of what life in Afghanistan was like in the last 18 months or so before the fall of Kabul and its immediate aftermath, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews

In Her Hands

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