Afghanistan Unveiled

The background on this new program and its filmmakers

Fourteen young women, several still in their teens, were trained as camera operators and video journalists at the AINA (which means “mirror” in Farsi), Afghan Media and Culture Center in Kabul, the first female journalists to be trained in that country for more than a decade and the first ever to be trained in digital media. None of the trainees had ever before traveled outside Kabul, and with one exception, none had been able to study or pursue careers while the Taliban controlled their country.

The new Independent Lens film "Afghanistan Unveiled, " which airs Sunday, November 21 at 7 p.m. on WHYY TV12, is the result of their combined efforts to shed light on the conditions of women in their country.

About the Filmmakers (Selected List):

Brigitte Brault (director and writer) is the media project manager for the French Foreign Ministry, a writer and video journalist for French television and the director of documentary films and reports. She is also a volunteer video journalist for "Etats d'Urgence," a production company of the French NGO, "Medecins sans Frontieres."

Shekeba Adill (cinematographer) is 19 years old and has always lived in Kabul. She was a high school student working part time at Kabul TV in children's programming when she started filming "Afghanistan Unveiled," traveling to Badakhshan and Herat. She toured in France and Germany for festivals and is now working full time for AINA as a video journalist.

Marie Ayub (cinematographer) is 26 years old and has also always lived in Kabul. She traveled to Herat and Bamyan during the making of the film and has just completed co-directing Shadows, the second AINA documentary about women's rights in Afghanistan.

Mehria Azizi (cinematographer) is 20 years old and a native of Kabul. She worked as a high school teacher and also at Kabul TV. Mehria (pictured) traveled to Badakhshan and Jalalabad during the making of the film and has also toured Europe to promote the documentary. She is currently working full time for AINA as a video journalist.

Jamila Emami (cinematographer/editor) is 19 years old and completed her high school education in Pakistan. She returned to Kabul with her family in early 2002. Jamila produced her first news report in September 2002 for French TV and traveled to Herat, Jalalabad and Bamyan during the making of "Afghanistan Unveiled." She is now working full time for AINA as an editor and cinematographer.

Halima Hussiani (cinematographer) is 26 years old and returned from Iran without her family in early 2002 to study journalism at Kabul University. She produced her first news reports for French television in September 2002 and traveled to Bamyan and Herat working on "Afghanistan Unveiled." She represented the film at the Copenhagen cph:dox Documentary Film Festival. She is now working full time for AINA as a video journalist.

Nasima Mustafa (cinematographer) is in her mid-thirties and works as a kindergarten teacher. She produced her first news report for French television in September 2002 and traveled to Jalalabad during the making of "Afghanistan Unveiled." She is now happily married and recently moved to Pakistan to follow her husband.

Gul Makai Ranjba is 22 years old and has always lived in Kabul. She is currently a university student. She traveled to Badakhshan for the making of the film and is now working full time for AINA as a video journalist.