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Afghan director once in Cannes spotlight now in Taliban's shadow
Four years ago, Salim Shaheen was in the spotlight at Cannes, but now he spends his days confined to his home, afraid of the new Taliban regime and their clampdown on arts and music.
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In this picture taken on November 27, 2021, Afghan film director Salim Shaheen displays a print of him posing with Indian Bollywood actor Sunny Deol, during an interview with AFP in his residence in Kabul. (AFP/Aref Karimi)
F
our years ago, Afghan film director Salim Shaheen was in the spotlight at Cannes, but now he spends his days confined to his home, afraid of the new Taliban regime and their clampdown on arts and music.
Prolific and exuberant, Shaheen often speaks in the third person or as the on-screen personas developed in his 125 ultra-low-budget films.
A mention of his moment in the Cannes limelight elicits particular rapture.
"It was the most beautiful day of my life!" Shaheen cries out from his home in Kabul.
"All the French knew me. They were shouting: 'Shaheen! Shaheen!'"
The film presented at Cannes was a documentary called The Prince of Nothingwood, produced by journalist Sonia Kronlund, which followed Shaheen as he made his 111th film.
The 56-year-old still savours the memory of the minutes-long standing ovation he received after the documentary's press screening at Cannes.
