Project Description

Love Marriage in Kabul

Australian Premiere | 2015

Director's Biography
Director's Biography
Amin Palangi is an Iranian-Australian filmmaker, founder of Palangi Productions, director of Persian International film festival in Australia and the Convergent Media Lecturer at the Western Sydney University. He holds a PhD in film studies from Australian National University, MA in script writing from Australian Film Television and Radio School and is member of the Screen NSW advisory committee.
His debut feature documentary Love Marriage in Kabul was finalist of Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism, winner of Audience Award at Sydney Film Festival, Best Documentary at Canberra Film Festival, Best Director from Australian Directors Guild, and Australia’s first Golden Phoenix from Fajr International film Festival.

Synopsis

Mahboba Rawi, a strong-willed Afghan-Australian woman and the founder of Mahboba’s Promise, has dedicated her life to helping orphans and widows in Afghanistan. Abdul, one of these orphans, is in love with Fatemeh, the girl next door. The two have been exchanging romantic letters for over a year and hope to marry one day. But Fatemeh’s father has decided to marry her off to anyone who can offer a large sum of money as her dowry. Devastated, Abdul is hoping when Mahboba arrives for her yearly visit to Kabul, she will help him again.
However, Fatemeh’s father makes demands beyond anyone’s expectations. He won’t let the marriage happen unless Mahboba pays him $10,000 or finds a wife for his eldest son to replace Fatemeh’s role in the household. With nothing to Abdul’s name, the fate of the couple depends entirely on Mahboba’s ability to meet or negotiate the father’s terms. But she only has one month and limited resources.

Festivals

  • Winner – Sydney Film Festival – Foxtel Audience Award for Best Documentary 2014,
  • Winner – Canberra International Film Festival – Best Documentary 2014
  • Finalist – Walkley Awards 2014 for Best Documentary
  • Finalist – Australian Film Critics Award for Best Documentary 2015
  • Finalist – Australian Editors Guild for Best Editor 2015
  • Winner – Australian Director’s Guild for Best Director 2015
  • AFI DOCS 2015
  • Chargin Documentary Film Festival 2015
  • FIPA, Festival International Audio Visual 2015
  • Minneapolis & St Paul Intl Film Festival 2015
  • Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2015
  • Silk Road Film Festival 2014
  • Mostly British Film Festival, San Francisco 2014

Production Team

Director
Amin Palangi
Country
Afghanistan – Australian
Runtime 
85 min
Language
Dari with English Subtitles
Year
2014
Screenwriter 
Amin Palangi
Producer
Pat Fiske
Cast
Mahboba Rawi, Abdul Fattah Akbari, Virginia Haussegger

Other Films