Good Morning Kandahar is a documentary that asks the question:
What is life like for young Afghan-Canadians when the country they live in is at war in their homeland?

Good Morning Kandahar

ABOUT THE FILM

Beautiful stills and cinematography

Canadian Press

"My country fights a war in my father’s country. And I look on with a growing sense of confusion." So Ariel Nasr begins his powerful new documentary, Good Morning Kandahar, which gives poignant voice to the dilemmas felt by thousands of young Afghans around the world — many in surprising places — as they grapple with events in their homeland.

The film introduces us to young Afghan-Canadians torn between a deep desire to help Afghanistan and fear that things will never change.

Good Morning Kandahar is a moving and rich film that brings a profoundly needed personal perspective to a painful controversy.

Good Morning Kandahar was produced as part of the Reel Diversity Competition for emerging filmmakers of colour. Reel Diversity is a National Film Board of Canada initiative in partnership with CBC Newsworld.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

Ariel Nasr, Director

Good Morning Kandahar is Ariel Nasr’s first full-length documentary film.

As the Canadian child of an Afghan father and an American mother, the current situation in Afghanistan resonates deeply with Nasr. He first visited Afghanistan in 2005 and found it “more beautiful and more terrible” than he had imagined.

A graduate of King’s College in Halifax, Nasr worked as an editor and assistant editor for CBC Television and the NFB, and has taught workshops for the Centre for Art Tapes and other non-profit organizations.

Annette Clarke, Producer (NFB)

Annette Clarke’s documentaries range from intimate conversations with young Afghan Canadians to an exploration of cultures that live off the land, yet now are seen as villains by urban environmentalists. In addition to her work in documentary, Clarke also produces animation and cross-platform projects. Her productions have been broadcast across North America, and have also been seen on television and festival screens in Europe, Asia and Australia.

Recent highlights include Inside Time, a film about bank robber, Stephen Reid; Hannah’s Story, about a year in the life of an 11-year-old girl committed to helping Canada’s homeless; Cottonland, which earned three Gemini nominations for its unflinching look at drug dependency in Cape Breton; and White Thunder, a double-Gemini nominee about the drama behind the making of a 1920s Paramount picture (The Viking) off the coast of Newfoundland.

CREDITS

  • Written and Directed by Ariel Nasr
  • With special thanks to Sharif Aminzadah, Yahsheer Fatimi, Najia Haneefi
  • Producer Annette Clarke
  • Editor Angela Baker
  • Director of Photography Andrew Watt, csc
  • Sound Recordist Aram Kouyoumdjian
  • Production Supervisor Patsy Coughran
  • Additional Photography Christian Bielz, Rohan Fernando, Ariel Nasr
  • Additional Sound Scott Bell, Jamie Kidd
  • Production Assistants Enayat Aminzadah, Garth Archibald, Chris Logan, Fawad Popalyar, Saleem Yousofzada
  • Consultant Martin Lavut
  • Original Music Composed by David Christensen © 2008 National Film Board of Canada (SOCAN)
  • Recorded at The Farm
  • Musicians Shaukat Afghan, Gurpreet Singh Chana, David Christensen, Amal Mohammad-Din, George Koller

  • Additional Music

  • Naazoonah
  • Music by Habib Qaderi
  • Lyrics by Aziz Atef
  • Performed by Mamoon
  • Used by Permission, all rights reserved
  • Distributed by TriVisionUSA

  • Ala Ala
  • Music and Lyrics by Wais Soroor
  • Performed by Waheed Soroor
  • Used by Permission, all rights reserved
  • Distributed by Soroor Music

  • Subhaanallah
  • Music and Lyrics by Rameen & Omar Sharif
  • Performed by Rameen & Omar Sharif
  • Used by Permission, all rights reserved
  • Distributed by TriVisionUSA

  • Jigi Jigi
  • Music and Lyrics by Watani
  • Performed by Habib Qaderi
  • Used by Permission, all rights reserved
  • Distributed by TriVisionUSA

  • The filmmakers also wish to thank
    Fawad Popalyar, Ahmad Wais Popalyar, Mirwais Nahzat, Afghan Association of Ontario, Cetena Group, Niamatullah Achekzai, Marcelo Alaraon, Sher Ahmad, Jahid Alefi, Enayat Aminzadeh, Arturo Armas, Dewa Bahar, David Bailey, Major General Stuart Beare, Tom Benz, Doug Berquist, Gavin Biedler, Paul Caney, Sheena Curry, Dr. Hosain Danishwar, Farhad Darya, Major Bernard Dionne, Rohan Fernando, Suzanne Gaudreault, Anis Gul, Humaira Habib, Sebastian Harder, Anil Hashemi, Malalai Joya, Jamal Kakar, Haroon Karga, Karen Lavut, Monique Leblanc, Jaime Little, Jean Martin, Najeeb Mirza, Jan Mohamad, Hadi Mujadidi, Terry Myers, Amin Nasr, Carol Nasr Griset, Daud Noorzai, Farah Nosh, Ajmal Pashtoonyar, Juanita Peters, Zane Piekenbrock, Roz Power, Ed Riche, Schoeib & Mustafa Sabri, Jan Safari, Mé Schofield, Mina Sharif, Tony Sharp, Tom St. Denis, Cesare Touba, Timothy Tracey, Abdullah Wajidi, Waris Wakilzada, Chris Yapp

  • Afghanistan footage provided courtesy of Ariel Nasr
  • Still photography provided courtesy of Farah Nosh and Corbis, Lincoln Journal Star Library, Reprinted with Permission, All rights reserved
  • Additional stills provided by Enayat Aminzadah, Sharif Aminzadah, Yahseer Fatimi, Najia Haneefi
  • Assistant Editor Trevor Schellinck
  • Sound Editor Alex Salter
  • On-line Editor Steve Cook
  • Re-Recording Jean Paul Vialard
  • Transcription Services Lisa Clarke, Candice Desormeaux
  • Translation Services Fawad Popalyar
  • Titles Sam Decoste
  • Production Coordinators Stephanie Coolen, Vanessa Larsen
  • Marketing Managers Candice Desormeaux, Philip Moscovitch
  • Centre Administrator John William Lutz
  • Executive Producer Kent Martin

SCREENINGS

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No screening currently available.

CONTACT

Best Music Score
David Christensen
Atlantic Film Festival

National Film Board of Canada Production
© All Rights Reserved, 2008

Canada