Boy Who Plays On The Buddhas of Bamiyan, The

Aroview: A picturesque and moving documentary which follows in the footsteps of an impoverished family living in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, where a gigantic stone statue of Buddha was destroyed by the ruling Taliban in 2001.

Slowly picking a way through the literal and metaphorical rubble of recent Afghan history, this lingers in the mind for the balanced and humane viewpoints of its subjects, especially a cheekily intelligent boy with a sparkle in his eye. Thankfully never lapsing into the sentimental, this instead comes across as a thoughful postcard from a far-off, yet somehow familiar world. Winner of several festival awards.

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