Osama

The first film to be made in Afghanistan since the Taliban came to power in 1996; 'Osama' is a brittle account of the suffering endured under that extremist regime. Considering the circumstances, it was something of an achievement that 'Osama' emerged at all. That Siddiq Barmak has made such a moving, emotive and evocative film is nothing short of remarkable.

A cast of non-professional actors are headed by Marina Golbahari who plays the titular character, a young girl. Since women under the Taliban government are unable to work for themselves - even if there is no man in the house - the fatherless Osama is disguised as a boy by her enlightened grandmother and sent to work for a sympathetic shopkeeper. It's there that Osama has to keep her identity a secret, least it compromise her or her family in this swift, deeply oppressive society.

Setting the tone from the opening minutes, 'Osama' is a harsh indictment of the Talibanic regime in Afghanistan, and particularly of its deplorable treatment of women. Though the film is absolutely unsparing in its criticism of the former ruling party, it manages to maintain enough distance so as not to simply become a document of hate. Some of the credit in this regard must go to the extraordinary visuals employed and the director's reluctance to allow things to slide into easy to digest chunks of sentimentality. The actors may lack a little finesse at times but they bring a real honesty and vulnerability to the table.