Frame by Frame

Australian Premiere | 2015

Synopsis

When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, taking a photo was a crime. After the regime fell from power in 2001, a fledgling free press emerged and a photography revolution was born. Now, as foreign troops and media withdraw, Afghanistan is left to stand on its own, and so are its journalists. Set in a modern Afghanistan bursting with color and character, FRAME BY FRAME follows four Afghan photojournalists as they navigate an emerging and dangerous media landscape – reframing Afghanistan for the world, and for themselves. Through cinema verite, intimate interviews, powerful photojournalism, and never-before-seen archival footage shot in secret during the Taliban regime, the film connects audiences with four humans in the pursuit of the truth.

Director's Biography
Director's Biography
Alexandria Bombach is an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker who lives on the road. Founding her production company RED REEL in 2009, Alexandria is known to sell all of her belongings to tell a story she believes in.

In 2010, Alexandria set out to film “23 FEET,” a 30-minute documentary about people living a simple life in order to do what they love in the outdoors. “23 FEET” takes an in-depth look at what it means to live for your passions. The film screened at festivals in 15 countries and across the U.S. in a rogue distribution outlet: her 1970 Airstream with an outdoor theatre attached to it.

Her Emmy award-winning 2012 film series, MoveShake, features real life stories and lessons of people dedicating their lives to environmental and social issues. Focusing on character-driven films, Alexandria’s work is defined by her ability to get to the core of what drives passionate people to do what they do.

Mo Scarpelli is a non-fiction filmmaker and multimedia journalist. Her curiosity of humans and her compulsion to expose the underexposed has led her to shoot in more than 15 countries around the world. Mo is the Founder and Director of Rake Films, which produces character-rich films and multimedia stories for news and non-profits. Rake’s award-winning short films with non-profits have screened at the World Health Organization, the United Nations and in global health events across Africa,
Asia, Europe and the U.S.

As a journalist, Mo has published work with the BBC, The Wall Street Journal, Africa Review, The
Huffington Post and Narrative.ly. She holds a Bachelor’s in Journalism from the University of
Missouri, nearly 10 years of experience filming in unfamiliar territories, and that bottle opener on
her at all times doubles as a tripod key.

Festivals

  • SXSW 2015
  • HotDocs 2015
  • AFI Docs 2015
  • Camden Film Festival 2015

Production Team

Director
Bombach & Scarpelli
Country
Afghanistan
Runtime 
85 min
Language
Persian with English Subtitles
Year
2014
Screenwriter 
Alexandria Bombach, Mo Scarpelli
Producer
Alexandria Bombach, Mo Scarpelli
Cast
Farzana Wahidy, Massoud Hossaini, Wakil Kohsar, Najibullah Musafer

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