“A beautiful, pure, and powerful film” – The Examiner
Making its debut at the Berlin International Film Festival, Yosef Baraki’s first feature, Mina Walking, follows a young girl forced to support her heroin-addicted father and senile grandfather after her mother is killed by the Taliban. Craving normality, Mina’s decision to secretly attend school sends her life into tailspin, encapsulating the current struggle of young Afghans trying to shake off the echoes of oppression from the Taliban era.
Serving as writer, director, cinematographer and camera operator, Baraki spent 19 days shooting the film with heavy improvisation from its non-professional cast. Often overwhelmed by local Afghans who would hurl abuse at 12-year-old lead Farzana Nawabi, Mina Walking talks bravely about a war-torn country where men call the shots.
