Athens International Film Festival
aiff

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

 


        : International Documentaries Competition

        20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL | 20 ДНІВ У МАРІУПОЛІ

        20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL | 20 ДНІВ У МАРІУПОЛІ

        28/09/2023, 17:15, ASTOR
        04/10/2023, 17:45, DANAOS 2

        ON THE ADAMANT | SUR L’ADAMANT

        ON THE ADAMANT | SUR L’ADAMANT

        28/09/2023, 19:15, DANAOS
        01/10/2023, 19:30, DANAOS 2

        QUEENDOM

        QUEENDOM

        28/09/2023, 22:00, ASTOR
        05/10/2023, 17:45, ASTY

        THE ETERNAL MEMORY | LA MEMORIA INFINITA

        THE ETERNAL MEMORY | LA MEMORIA INFINITA

        29/09/2023, 18:00, ASTOR
        02/10/2023, 17:00, ASTOR

        THE SPECTRE OF BOKO HARAM | LE SPECTRE DE BOKO HARAM

        THE SPECTRE OF BOKO HARAM | LE SPECTRE DE BOKO HARAM

        29/09/2023, 19:30, DANAOS 2
        04/10/2023, 19:45, DANAOS 2

        ANGEL APPLICANT

        ANGEL APPLICANT

        29/09/2023, 21.00, DANAOS 2
        30/09/2023, 17.45, ASTOR

        THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES | KADIB ABYAD

        THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES | KADIB ABYAD

        30/09/2023, 19:30, ASTOR
        03/10/2023, 17:30, ASTOR

        SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD | SAVVUSANNA SÕSARAD

        SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD | SAVVUSANNA SÕSARAD

        02/10/2023, 19:15, DANAOS 2
        05/10/2023, 19:30, DANAOS 2

        THE LAST YEAR OF DARKNESS | WU YE CHU ZOU

        THE LAST YEAR OF DARKNESS | WU YE CHU ZOU

        03/10/2023, 22:00, ASTOR
        08/10/2023, 21:45, DANAOS 2

        THE ECHO | EL ECO

        THE ECHO | EL ECO

        05/10/2023, 20:00, DANAOS
        07/10/2023, 21:30, DANAOS 2