The Boy Who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan

About the Film

Destruction of cultural heritage

The Hindukush Mountains are both barren and magnificent. Fog rises over the caves of Bamiyan. A boy plays with a wheel, rolliing it with a stick. A huge hole gapes in the side of the mountain. Monks used to live in the caves at the base of these statues; today they are filled with refugees.
Cut. We see an indistinct image of a Buddha statue, and then an explosion. The Taliban, in a pursuit to “purify” Islamic culture, have just destroyed one of the most important cultural treasures of the planet. According to Deobandi doctrine, Shi'ites are considered infidels and members of the Hazara ethnic group, who have lived together peacefully with the Pashtuns, Tajiks, and Uzbeks for centuries, now suddenly fear for their lives.
«The statues were built long before I was born They were built by someone, I don’t know who, but they’re destroyed now. It’s not only Bamiyan – all over Afghanistan it's the same.» – Abdul Hussein, father of Mir, protagonist of BOY WHO PLAYS ON THE BUDDHAS OF BAMIYAN

Life after the destructive detonations

Many have fled from one city to the next. Some of them escaped to Bamiyan. But the Taliban followed with tanks and automatic weapons, butchering the population and burning down their homes. And then they destroyed the statues of Buddha. The Taliban no longer control the area. Hundreds of refugees have settled in the ancient caves around the bases of statues that no longing stand. This is the story of a boy, Mir, and his family, who are awaiting the allocation of a new residence. Mir and his friends are at home in the caves of this world cultural heritage site, for them, it is the most natural place for them to be. They communicate with directly into camera, thrusting themselves right up to the audience. With excitement in their eyes, they tell the story of this place in their own, simply way.

Statues ephemeral, seasons eternal

It' summer. The tasks of every day life are hard, but the promise of help on the way and fine weather create an almost cheery atmosphere. Grandfather Abdul and his son-in-law tell us stories about their lives. Neither has lost hope for a better life. American helicopters buzz overhead. Mir likes the Americans. The Harzara are hopeful that the Americans will bring more stability to the country. Yes, they feel safer since the US forces have entered the country. Somewhere nearby the new Afghanistan troops are doing military drills. Their equipment and training appear to be as rudimentary as the Hazara living arrangements in the Bamiyan caves. The film’s imagery, its intense colors and breath- taking landscapes, the close-up portraits of native inhabitants, the editing, and the atmospheric music are fascinatingly beautiful. Now and again we hear fragments of radio news reports and so the imagery is placed within global politics. This is the moment shortly before the invasion of Iraq. Bamiyan villager looks towards an uncertain future. It's now autumn. The destroyed homes in Bamiyan have not been rebuilt.Only the wewage lines for the planned housing projects have been built. The refugees are still living in the caves. Even so: the world seems to care about Bamiyan. Members of the UNESCO arrive and give the children polio shots, the vice president of Afghanistan pays the area a visit, and a fence now surrounds the gap where a Buddha once stood. On an information board we learn that no, the statues will not be rebuilt. The site will serve as a reminder of Taliban cruelty. The entrance is padlocked. It is now winter and the general mood has turned bad. Mir and his family are still living in the caves. Mir has to melt ice in a plastic bottle with his body heat to make drinking water. The son-in-law has even stopped going out for firewood. We fear for the youngest child Jasmin. How can she have possibly survived this cold without proper housing? Spring has returned and life in Bamiyan reawakens. The homes are finally being rebuilt. The place has the atmosphere of a bazaar and you can even get a Coca Cola - ice cold. Abdul and his son-in-law have found work cutting firewood for a bakery. Mir goes to school and also found a side job. But they are still waiting and hoping to get a house allotment. Life as usual has returned to Bamiyan, even the traffic police are back, and they are increasingly necessary. THE BOY WHO PLAYS ON THE BUDDHAS OF BAMIYAN tells a tale of the changes in Afghanistan after the American invasion. At once frightening and hopeful, it is also a contemporary essay of ill-planned and sluggishly implemented relief efforts. The main figures in the film, Mir and his grandfather Abdul, are authentic and engaging. Their story is engrossing and we become hopeful that everything will work out for them. Yet knowing as we do now that the general situation in Afghanistan has taken a turn for the worse, and that the Taliban are returning, our hope for the future is somewhat tarnished.