Osama (film)
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| Osama | |
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| Directed by | Siddiq Barmak |
| Produced by | Julia Fraser & Julie le Brocquy |
| Written by | Siddiq Barmak |
| Starring | Marina Golbahari, Arif Herati, Zubaida Sahar |
| Music by | Mohammad Reza Darvishi |
| Distributed by | ICA United Artists (distribution only) |
| Release date(s) |  20 May 2003 (premiere at Cannes) 27 June 2003 6 February 2004 13 February 2004 29 April 2004 13 May 2004 |
| Running time | 83 min. |
| Language | Dari |
| IMDb profile | |
- Not to be confused with Osama bin Laden, althought the title of the film highlights his allegorical relevance.
Osama is a 2003 film made in Afghanistan. It tells a story about a young girl who disguises as a boy, Osama, that exposes the cruelty of the Taliban, and was the first film to be shot entirely in that country since 1996, when the Taliban régime banned the creation of all films. The film was an international co-production between companies in Afghanistan, the Netherlands, Japan, Ireland and Iran.
[edit] Synopsis
A 12-year-old Afghan girl and her mother lose their jobs when the Taliban closes the hospital where they work. The Taliban have also forbidden women to leave their houses without a male "legal companion." With her husband and brother dead, having been killed in battle during the Soviet invasion, there are no men left to support the family. Unable to leave the house without fear of arrest and torture, the mother is left with nowhere to turn. With no other choice, and inspired by a story her mother tells about a boy who went under a bridge and became a girl, she disguises her daughter as a boy named 'Osama'. Osama manages to secure a job at the local chai tea shop, but 'his' effeminate ways quickly arouse suspicion among the other boys.
Eventually, in a drive to collect soldiers, the local boys, including Osama, are taken from their homes or work by the Taliban to be trained as soldiers. At the training school, they are taught how to fight and conduct ablutions, and Osama realizes it can only be so long before she is found out. Several of the boys begin to pick on her, and eventually her secret is outed in one of the movie's most vicious and disturbing scenes. Arrested, she is put on trial, and as this case is without precident, her life is spared when she is given in marriage to a man who delivered a videotape filmed by a western journalist who is also being tried. The new husband already has three wives, all of whom hate him and say that he that he destroyed their lives, and they take pity on her.
[edit] Production
The director has said that Osama was at least partially inspired by a girl he once met, who disguised herself as a boy in order to attend school.[citation needed] It has also been said that this movie might have been at least partially inspired by a newspaper report in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban.[citation needed]
The movie was filmed on location in Kabul, Afghanistan. Work began in June, 2002 and was completed in March 2003 with a budget of approximately $46,000 USD. All the actors in the film are all amateurs found by the director on the streets of Kabul.
According to "Marina," a documentary about actress Marina Golbahari filmed concurrently with the movie, "Osama" was originally entitled "Rainbow," and ended on a hopeful note, with Osama passing under a rainbow and gaining her freedom. As time went on, however, the director grew dissatisfied with the ending and changed it, and also cut out other scenes in the movie that expressed hope.
[edit] Responses
Osama was very well-received by the Western cinematic world. It gathered a rating of 96% on review site Rotten Tomatoes, which tabulates the reviews of online professionals into a single rating.
Despite the amount of violence in the film, it received a PG-13 rating from the MPAA.
[edit] Awards and nominations
[edit] Bratislava International Film Festival (2003)
- Awarded "Special Mention"
- Nominated "Grand Prix"
[edit] Cannes Film Festival (2003)
- Awarded "AFCAE Award"
- Awarded "Cannes Junior Award"
- Awarded "Golden Camera - Special Mention"
[edit] Cinemanila International Film Festival (2004)
- Awarded "Best Actress" - Marina Golbahari, tied with Katherine Luna for Babae sa Breakwater
- Nominated "Lino Brocka Award"
[edit] Golden Globes, USA (2004)
- Awarded "Golden Globe Best Foreign Language Film" - Afghanistan
[edit] Golden Satellite Awards (2004)
- Nominated "Golden Satellite Award Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language" - Afghanistan/Iran
[edit] Golden Trailer Awards (2004)
- Won "Golden Trailer Best Foreign"
[edit] Kerala International Film Festival (2003)
- Won "Audience Award"
[edit] London Film Festival (2004)
- Won Sutherland Trophy
[edit] Molodist International Film Festival (2003)
- Won "Best Film Award Best Full-Length Fiction Film"
- Won "Best Young Actor Award" - Marina Golbahari
[edit] Pusan International Film Festival (2003)
- Won "New Currents Award" - Special Mention
- Won "PSB Audience Award,"tied with Seontaek
[edit] Valladolid International Film Festival (2003)
- Won "Golden Spike," tied with Talaye sorkh
[edit] Young Artist Awards (2004)
- Nominated "Young Artist Award Best International Feature Film"
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Talk to Her |
Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film 2004 |
Succeeded by The Sea Inside |
