A gang of Afghan kids from the Kuchi tribe dig out old Soviet mines and sell the explosives to children working in a lapis lazuli mine. When not dreaming of the time when American troops finally withdraw from their land, another gang of children keeps tight control on the caravans smuggling the blue gemstones through the arid mountains of Pamir. Land of the Enlightened is a stunning cinematic journey into the world of children living in the war-tormented Afghanistan.
About the film
Details
- Running time
- 1 hr. 24 min.
- Country, year
- Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, Afghanistan, 2016
- Genre
- Drama, Documentary, War
- Language
- Persian, English
- Subtitles
- English, Lithuanian
- Age rating
- Pegi 13
Credits
- Director
- Pieter-Jan De Pue
- Producers
- Christian Beettz, Peter Bouckaert, Morgan Bushe
- Cast
- Gholam Nasir, Khyrgyz Baj, Noor
- More information
- www.imdb.com
Festivals and awards
- Sundance Film Festival
Director
Pieter-Jan De Pue
Pieter-Jan De Pue is an independent filmmaker and photographer. His photographic work on Afghanistan and Central Asia has been published in Weekend Knack, Le Monde, De Morgen, De Standaard, and has been exhibited in several galleries and museums. Land of the Enlightened is his first feature, filmed over a period of seven years in different regions throughout the country of Afghanistan on 16mm camera.
