Video December 14, 2011 By Editors

What was the filming process like? Did you find scenes and subjects organically?
Salome: I went to Afghanistan a week earlier to visit families. As a woman I actually have access to family life, whereas a man can only stay in the guest room. We wanted to respect the local culture. For Lukas, it was much easier to approach people on the street. Often people were suspicious, but as soon as he started speaking to them in their own language, they became very open and interested.

Were there any iconic images of Afghan life that you knew you wanted to get?
Lukas: We didn’t really have a shot list, but we wanted pictures that evoke the ambiguity of the country. We went, for example, to the refurbished mausoleum of the former king in Kabul. We met a soldier with his AK47 – a typical picture at first. But as a tear runs down his face, the image can be seen as a symbol for the inner state of Afghanistan.

You’ve also covered the region as a still photographer. Why did you want to make a film of Afghanistan?
Lukas: After living in Afghanistan I wanted to get the faces of people from different ages and ethnic backgrounds. But when you take a portrait photo, I feel there is a bigger distance between beholder and subject. The subject becomes an object that is looked at, but can’t respond.
Salome: We wanted to create a more intimate connection. Every time you watch it you re-experience the moment of looking into the eyes of an Afghan. We hope the viewer gets the feeling of speaking to a living person who is actually not that different.

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