RIDERS ON THE STORM

AUSTRIA | 2023 | COLOR | DCP | 102’ | SWEDISH, FARSI

Buzkashi, a sport stemming from the era Genghis Khan tried to conquer Afghanistan, is the starting point of a documentary filled with knowledge and pain for the tormented Asian country. Surrounded by the awe-inspiring snow covered giant mountain ranges, the cities of Kabul, Kandahar and Kunduz host the national championship, while the heavy clouds of the coming Talibans are approaching. The amazing contrasts of noble, skillful filming, in a perpetually war-torn country at the end of its rope, and the stunning pen-camera of an exotic but never folklore geography, present us with a fiery film about contemporary Afghanistan. And buzkashi, weirdly barbaric and romantic at once, remains like an ancient reminder of a world that will never change. I.D.

DIRECTORS: Jason Motlagh, Mark Oltmanns
DoP: Mark Oltmanns
MUSIC: William Ryan Fritch
EDITOR: Christina Stiles

JASON MOTLAGH
Iranian-American director and journalist. He reports on Kabul since 2006, including for TIME magazine. He has also served as a correspondent for media such as National Geographic and The Guardian. His interests lie in unknown stories of fight, migration, and human rights.

MARK OLTMANNS
Awarded director, specialized in observational documentary. He got his MA in Journalism at Berkeley, he has worked in more than 20 countries while his work is shown on Netflix, PBS and MSNBC.

FILMOGRAPHY (SHARED)
2023 Riders on the Storm