A short video on Landays – a form of dissent poetry by Afghan women.
Over this past week, the world has been a silent witness to Taliban’s swift and effortless takeover of Afghanistan. Our thoughts go out to the women in Afghanistan who will undoubtedly be the most vulnerable to repression in the coming days.
In honour of the women, we look at a short animation film about a unique form of folk poetry created by and for Pashtun women in the border regions of Afghanistan. In recent years, the traditional form has adapted to modern technology. What was earlier practiced in a community setting with groups of women singing aloud could now be expressed in private, through mobile phones and social media. Despite the dangers of getting caught, women share snippets of intimate conversations, their secret thoughts and darkest feelings. To be seen and heard, to feel a connection with others, is a primal need that many of us take for granted. These women risk their lives for it.
In these dark times, let us listen to their songs of love, desire and the dark times.
Animation and script by Afrah Shafiq
Produced by Tamasha Theatre for their play ‘Words Have Been Uttered’
Images by Seamus Murphy; Translations by Eliza Griswold
Source: https://static.poetryfoundation.org/o/media/landays.html]
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Surbhi Dewan, Curator at ViewFinder, Saachibaat.com |
