A Flickering Truth documents the remarkable true story of exiled filmmaker Ibrahim Arify as he returns to his native Afghanistan. Tasked with restoring 8000 hours of lost Afghan films, his job is all the more formidable considering the medium has been outlawed by the Taliban government for many years.
Films burned and destroyed – thought never to be seen again.Unearthing dusty reels of film, some dug out of collapsing barns, others hidden in ceilings and many discovered by pure chance, Ibrahim must also deal with people too scared to act after so many years of oppression.
Bringing the project to fruition, The Flickering Truth represents an astonishing collection of newly restored films toured around the country, for the people, many seeing film for the first time, to experience their own country’s rich artistic culture and history on the flickering screen. Directed by respected New Zealand documentary filmmaker Pietra Brettkelly (Maori Boy Genius), A Flickering Truth explores a war-torn world in search of the truth, elusive as it has been for Afghanistan, highlighting the significance and power of film preservation.
- Screened at the 2016 NZ International Film Festival Screened theatrically in NZ
- 7.3/10 IMDb rating
- From award-winning NZ director Pietra Brettkelly
- Official Selection TIFF 2015
Critic Reviews:
- A poetically elegiac documentary about the vulnerability of Afghanistan's cinematic heritage, and the determined efforts to safeguard what remains. – Variety
- Documentary subjects don't come much more niche and nerdy than film archiving in Afghanistan. – Time Out
- A tough, intelligent, ambitious and wholly unique film. – Stuff.co.nz