The Etilaat Roz
US Digital Premiere
For info about our in person screenings, please go to ff.hrw.org/newyork
This film is fully subtitled in English
From inside the office of the city’s most widely read newspaper, The Etilaat Roz is a first-hand account of the 2021 takeover of Kabul by the Taliban. Afghan filmmaker and ‘Etilaat Roz’ staff member Abbas Rezaie relentlessly films and questions his passionate colleagues on the editorial team in the days leading up to, during, and after the takeover. What begins as shock at a surreal situation, gradually shifts to realization of an inescapable reality at their doorstep. Tensions rise as his colleagues must balance their families’ safety with their dedication to provide honest reporting, while the Taliban set their targets on the free press. This dramatic account of a group of courageous journalists in their struggle for truth, freedom, and life is poignantly captured by Rezaie’s camera, fully immersing the viewer in this rapidly changing environment.
Winner, Best First Feature, IDFA 2022
“The Etilaat Roz is a piece of history. It depicts the most heartbreaking moments of Kabul’s collapse, which makes every Afghan emotional, including me. But it also demonstrates how strong our defenders of free speech are.” - Fereshta Abbasi, researcher, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch
“Our history has always been narrated from the ruler’s point of view. Whereas the people who change the course of history with their resilience, bravery, and sacrifices are not shown anywhere except in the newsreels. I want to get as close to the people as possible and continue recording their lives. This time it’s a personal film, with lots of poetry and of course, history.” - Abbas Rezaie, director, The Etilaat Roz
Content Advisory This film contains imagery of people who have sustained physical injuries, and a scene with sounds of gunshots in crowded areas.
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