Kandahar Reviews

2001

60
from 900 members

Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf presents this partially fictionalized documentary that illustrates the suffering of Afghan women under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in the year 2000. The quiet, stark, powerful film follows an Afghan native, Nafas (the stunningly beautiful Noulifar Pazira), who left Afghanistan years back .. Read more

Starring	Niloufar Pazira, Hassan Tantai, Sadou Teymouri, Hayatalah Hakimi
Director	Moshen Makhmalbaf
Genres	Drama, World Cinema

Critic's review of Kandahar
View all critics' reviews (4)
- "...[Makhmalbaf's] artful deployment of colour, imagery and irony frequently gives a strange otherworldliness to what, in other hands, would be straight reportage..."
- 10490
- - Sight and Sound
  - 11 Mar 2005 at 12:59
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Most helpful member's review of Kandahar
View all members' reviews (18)
- - 8
  - 5
  Like Pulling Teeth
  
  The title of this film is interesting and the plot is simple. An Afghan woman returns to Afghanistan to save her sister who was accidentally left behind when ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 293150
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - AndyMoore
  - Isle of Wight
  - 14 Oct 2003 at 13:59
Most recent members' reviews of Kandahar
View all members' reviews (18)
- - 0
  - 1
  one to avoid
  
  I do like art films and can tolerate a slow pace and do not mind foreign languages even without sub-titles.
  
  This film is very slow paced and has ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 763164
- - amalantrah
  - 2 reviews
  - London
  - 27 May 2009 at 18:26
- - 0
  - 0
  Customer Review
  
  I though this was a fantastic movie. Not much like the sort of thing which normally comes out of Hollywood, although I love those as well. The acting is awful ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 579553
- - a customer
  - UK
  - 23 Jun 2008 at 15:22
- - 1
  - 0
  Topical film
  
  Burkas have been in the news a lot recently, and this film certainly has many in it. It... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 377498
- - Cato
  - 589 reviews
  - Lydbury North
  - 24 Oct 2006 at 17:03
- - 6
  - 0
  Both excellent and relevant
  
  A Canadian woman who fled Afghanistan as a child returns to her country of birth prevent her sister's suicide. Pretty much a road movie from start to finish... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 225877
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - McClennan
  - 424 reviews
  - St Helens
  - 29 Mar 2006 at 17:48
- - 0
  - 0
  2* for entertainment with an extra * for culture & cinematography
  
  Not the most entertaining film but the shots of the Afghan widerness and portrayal of the daily struggles are eye openers. It seems that the director couldn'... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 225084
- - Stewart Jordan
  - Essex
  - 28 Mar 2006 at 10:37
- - 0
  - 0
  All round failure
  
  This feature fails as a film and as a documentary and can only really be considered as an art installation. There is almost no dialogue and what there is is ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 210743
- - OLGA
  - Peterborough, England
  - 23 Feb 2006 at 21:25
- - 0
  - 0
  difficult
  
  i didn't enjoy this as much as i thought i would . i found the lead rather irritating.
  
  Report this review
- 183955
- - a customer
  - london uk
  - 12 Dec 2005 at 13:47
- - 2
  - 0
  NOT MY TASTE
  
  A sound insight into a regime that supported the excesses of religious zealots. A story of a brave lady entering a country she left many years ago. Although ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 347720
- - mikehh
  - 14 reviews
  - Lincoln
  - 03 Nov 2005 at 22:17
- - 0
  - 0
  Kandahar
  
  A very moving and beautiful film.
  
  Report this review
- 134365
- - Anonymous
  - london
  - 27 Apr 2005 at 21:01
- - 3
  - 0
  A journey across Afghanistan.
  
  Nafas a now westernized Afghan returns to find her sister. The film covers her journey across Afghanistan and the interesting people she meets on the way. There... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 324835
- - Eilmer
  - Wiltshire
  - 27 Feb 2005 at 11:43
View all members' reviews (18)

- - 8
  - 5
  Like Pulling Teeth
  
  The title of this film is interesting and the plot is simple. An Afghan woman returns to Afghanistan to save her sister who was accidentally left behind when ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 293150
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - AndyMoore
  - Isle of Wight
  - 14 Oct 2003 at 13:59
- - 6
  - 0
  Both excellent and relevant
  
  A Canadian woman who fled Afghanistan as a child returns to her country of birth prevent her sister's suicide. Pretty much a road movie from start to finish... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 225877
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - McClennan
  - 424 reviews
  - St Helens
  - 29 Mar 2006 at 17:48
- - 4
  - 0
  Power of the Image
  
  I found this film quite beautiful.
  
  Much of it was shot illegally on location around the Iran/Afghan border, the cast is non-professional and in many ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 319002
- - Nimrod
  - London
  - 15 Jan 2005 at 20:40
- - 3
  - 0
  A journey across Afghanistan.
  
  Nafas a now westernized Afghan returns to find her sister. The film covers her journey across Afghanistan and the interesting people she meets on the way. There... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 324835
- - Eilmer
  - Wiltshire
  - 27 Feb 2005 at 11:43
- - 2
  - 0
  Afghan Road Movie
  
  This is an episodic road movie with no beginning and no end. An Afghani woman refugee, Nafas, living in Canada, sets out to find her sister who was left behind ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 66532
- - William Johnson
  - Leamington
  - 24 Jan 2005 at 09:21
- - 2
  - 0
  NOT MY TASTE
  
  A sound insight into a regime that supported the excesses of religious zealots. A story of a brave lady entering a country she left many years ago. Although ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 347720
- - mikehh
  - 14 reviews
  - Lincoln
  - 03 Nov 2005 at 22:17
- - 1
  - 0
  Extraordinary insight into Afghanistan
  
  This is a remarkable although slightly disturbing movie. Shot almost as if it's a documentary it's the story of a woman coming back to Afghanistan to ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 16006
- - a customer
  - London
  - 25 Aug 2004 at 21:11
- - 1
  - 0
  Topical film
  
  Burkas have been in the news a lot recently, and this film certainly has many in it. It... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 377498
- - Cato
  - 589 reviews
  - Lydbury North
  - 24 Oct 2006 at 17:03
- - 0
  - 0
  Kandahar
  
  A very moving and beautiful film.
  
  Report this review
- 134365
- - Anonymous
  - london
  - 27 Apr 2005 at 21:01
- - 0
  - 0
  difficult
  
  i didn't enjoy this as much as i thought i would . i found the lead rather irritating.
  
  Report this review
- 183955
- - a customer
  - london uk
  - 12 Dec 2005 at 13:47

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Critics' reviews
- "...[Makhmalbaf's] artful deployment of colour, imagery and irony frequently gives a strange otherworldliness to what, in other hands, would be straight reportage..."
- 10490
- - Sight and Sound
  - 11 Mar 2005 at 12:59
- "...The director displays talent by providing notes of absurdity and unforgettable visuals....His compensatory touches have a jaw-dropping power..."
- 10489
- - New York Times
  - 11 Mar 2005 at 12:59
- "..A powerful depiction of oppression and hardship under Taliban rule .KANDAHAR is a film of passion and immediacy "
- 10488
- - Los Angeles Times
  - 11 Mar 2005 at 12:59
- Now living in Canadian exile, Afghan journalist Nafas returns to her country's border with Iran after receiving a... read more on Time Out
- 45036
- - Time Out
  - 04 Nov 2008 at 00:15

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