Hana Makhmalbaf’s directorial debut, which centers on a six-year-old girl’s efforts to learn the alphabet, is the winner of the Special Jury Prize at San Sabastián Film Festival, where it was noted that “this first feature by an extremely young director impressed the jury with its exquisite cinematography and the remarkable performance by the child actress Nikbakht Noruz.” Set in the Afghani province of Bamian where, in 2001, the Taliban destroyed a pair of massive fifth-century Buddha carvings, this story shows the struggles faced by children who have witnessed unbelievable destruction. Hana’s sister, Samira, premiered her first film, The Apple, at the 1999 Women with Vision Festival. 2007, Iran/France, video, in Farsi with English subtitles, 81 minutes.
