Click here to learn more about Postcards from Tora Bora and to view clips of the movie.
JB: How did the two of you begin working together?
KD & WO: We first met at Rutgers where we were both studying film. After graduating, we both found ourselves working in television and that is when our partnership really began. We were working on our own shorts, but we both really wanted to make a feature.
We both shared a love for documentary and discussed the idea of going to Afghanistan together to produce a feature about the post 9/11 situation of Afghan women—as a follow-up to all the films made about the situation of Afghan women during the Taliban. We went with the intention of not telling her [Osman’s] family’s personal story, but it just felt impossible to ignore such a compelling family history.
JB: Do you have plans to work on future projects together?
KD & WO: Yes. We have two projects currently in development. We have started shooting closer to home, in Brooklyn. The film follows arson victims in the Prospect Heights area of Brooklyn. There has been an unprecedented rise of arsons as a result of high priced real estate and over-development. We have a funding trailer finished and are currently looking for funding. We are also in development and shooting some tests for a film about bass fishing.
JB: Did you encounter many difficulties as women making this film in Afghanistan?
KD & WO: Although there were some difficulties and dangerous encounters on the streets, we were able to side-step most of it with help from Tahira [Wazhmah’s aunt, who appears in the film]. She just had this great way about her that demanded respect. The trip through “Tora Bora” to get to Dr. Osman’s clinic was the most dangerous because we had to go through Taliban territory and so there was a lot of American military presence and tension at the checkpoints.
One day we were shooting in the park near Wazhmah’s childhood apartment and a man started chasing us and throwing huge stones at us. We found ourselves running for the first storefront, which turned out to be a men’s-only gym. They let us stay there until the guy left and were really nice to us. Another time a missile was launched over our apartment in an attempt to hit the American embassy on the next block. Also, the internet cafe that we went to on an almost daily basis was bombed because it was popular with Westerners. Looking back, it was a very dangerous trip—not so much because we were women, but because of the volatile state of Afghanistan.
JB: The use of animation is very original, unusual, and I think, extremely effective in your documentary. Was it your intention to use this kind of device from early on in your thinking about this film, or was it something that came about in the editing process?
KD & WO: First of all, thank you.
We spent a week at the IOC school for orphaned children. Dr. Osman, Wazhmah’s father, wanted us to jump in and teach them computer courses and/or English courses. Since we both have art backgrounds, we really wanted to give them the space to express themselves visually. They already were learning English and computer literacy as part of the curriculum, but art wasn’t part of their education. As soon as we brought them the painting and drawing supplies that we had bought, they jumped right in. Without any former experience, they began expressing things that they had a really hard time verbalizing. The resulting drawings were incredibly evocative of their war experiences and we knew right away that we wanted to share their drawings on a broader scale.
Our initial idea was to have a gallery show in America exhibiting each kid’s drawings, accompanied by his/her interviews. The proceeds from the sales of the drawings were to go directly to the orphan children themselves. Getting money to them was crucial because at that time, the school, which was the only meal ticket for most of the children, had temporarily closed down due to lack of financial support. However, when we returned to America, despite our persistent efforts, we weren’t able to find a proper exhibition space to partner with. Through our network of friends, we found a few venues but they weren’t adequate in terms of helping us organize and publicize the kind of event that would have been beneficial for the children. And so, we became even more determined to work them into our documentary. Actually, that’s how Stephen came on board. Initially we hired him to animate the kids’ drawings and soon he became very vested in the project and we made him our editor and producer, too.
JB: Wazhmah, this is a deeply personal film and one that I admire greatly.
How difficult was it for you to have to deal so openly with your relationship to your former home and your father?
KD & WO: I guess at the time I didn’t realize I was dealing with my emotions to my former home and my boba so openly. I was just communicating with someone I am very close with who happened to be behind the camera, Kelly. I was dealing with a surge of emotions that I needed to process and Kelly became that silent therapist/cinematographer.
The decision to share that footage publicly happened rather tumultuously in the editing room. The process has been both a blessing and a nightmare, but I don’t regret it. As filmmakers, we demand a level of vulnerability from our subjects; it’s only fair that we are put in that position, too. And I focus on the positive aspects of that sharing, which are the responses such as yours. The film really touched a chord with audiences at Tribeca and I felt a connection to complete strangers who also shared their stories with me. And that has made it all worthwhile.
JB: Wazhmah: Has this film helped in a positive way with your relationship to your father?
KD & WO: Yes, absolutely. It opened up the lines of dialogue between us. He saw the film for the first time at Tribeca, and while he’s a big fan of Postcards, he had a hard time with some of the scenes where I’m critical of his decisions. I think I understand his life choices a lot more now that he’s explained them to me. I don’t want to make it seem like everything’s peachy though. Our relationship is a work-in-progress, but I love him.
JB: Where can people see this film? Will it be broadcast on television, is it available on DVD? Is it scheduled to play in more festivals?
KD & WO: Our sales agent, RJ Millard, is shopping it around to distributors. Yet our main focus is the rest of our festival run. We are beginning to hear back from some of the Fall festivals that we applied to. So right now, we’re in the process of strategizing about which festivals to attend. Once we see how it plays out, then we’ll know more about our theater, broadcast, and DVD prospects.
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