Uncategorized
“The Kite Runner” – Film Review
By Zulfiqar Ali Khan
This week I got a chance to watch a film “THE KITE RUNNER” in Berlin. It was really a moment of great happiness for me to see many of the side-characters from Hunza.
Based on Khaled Hosseini’s international bestseller, The KITE RUNNER novel, the story of exile, ambition and betrayal has an emotional power and fascinating historical film about the 20th-century Afghanistan. Director Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball) moves with the un-familiar actors from Afghanistan to San Francisco and Pakistan. Much of the film actually shot in Tashqurghun China.
I strongly recommend that you should watch this film.
Visit the website: http://www.kiterunnermovie.com/
I finished reading the Kite Runner a few days back. I found it quite and appealing book and story, but it is not one of those feel good type. The author doesn’t sentimentalize the pain and suffering of the characters or the country. I decided watching the movie…here again I felt that the actors were not living out the moments…….the closure of the story is another pessimistic shudder. Amir’s role is that of a skeptical he helps Hassen’s son but what about the rest of the sufferers. As a matter of fact I was disappointed.
I read the book a year ago and found it very emotional, it is indeed well written and wasn’t able to held my tears back on an occasion or two. The movie I watched last month and as best selling books usually do not make super hit movies, the same can be said about this. My interest in the movie grew when i heard that some people from our area have appeared in the movie as “extras”. The book indeed is worth going through and watching the movie won’t take a lot of your time, so go for it.
Frankly, the first time ever I heard about such a novel was when I was in Kashgar in November 2006, and my friend Niyatullah from Ghulkin was carrying the script of the film and coordinating between the Film director and the flock of NAs and Pakistani ‘ travel-actors’ who were provided roles to play while shooting somewhere near Kashgar.
2-3 months back, I cited a paperback edition on a bookshelf somewhere at the airport and usually read while flying.
The chapters I read sofar, I must say its readable and portrays the social and psychological traumas the youth suffer when class, tribe, clan and ethnic boundaries are too polarized. It also tells us that it is not always easy to speak the truth about the past and it carrys alot of pain to actually reveal some of the facts.
Once I finish I will be able to make an opinion about the whole book.
I wonder, we have many rich stories like this in Northern Areas. Those with writing skills and passion to write and idealize, should seriously think of re-collecting some short stories.
Amin Beg
i havent read the book yet but the movie is really exiting