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Movies / Upcoming / Massoud, The Afghan
Massoud, The Afghan

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Massoud, The Afghan (2002)

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Reviews Counted: 6

Fresh: 5

Rotten:1

Average Rating: 6.7/10

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 90 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Theatrical Release:Dec 4, 2002 Limited

Synopsis: In 1981, Christophe de Ponfilly visited Afghanistan, eager to make a film. He developed a deep affection for the beauty of the land and the humility of its people. Returning eight times over the... In 1981, Christophe de Ponfilly visited Afghanistan, eager to make a film. He developed a deep affection for the beauty of the land and the humility of its people. Returning eight times over the next 17 years, Ponfilly continued filming, tracking the battles, political strife, the destruction and death brought on by relentless war. Along the way he made the acquaintance of Massoud, a leader of the Mujaheddin freedom fighters. As they waged war against the Soviets and then against the Taliban, Massoud worked constantly to strategize a next move and try to comfort his people. Ponfilly interviews Massoud and his compatriots, though they are shy and uncomfortable standing in front of the camera. Ponfilly observes that it is the ability of these people to laugh at anything even despite their immeasurable hardships that is so endearing. With beautiful landscape photography of mountains, deserts, streams, and fields of wheat, Ponfilly visually communicates the nostalgia of what the country has lost to war. And through his admiration of Massoud, and his attention to the importance of the Afghans' history, he presents a moving story of strife and survival. [More]

Director: Christophe de Ponfilly

Director: Christophe de Ponfilly
Screenwriter: Christophe de Ponfilly
Producer: Christophe de Ponfilly
Studio: New Yorker Films

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Reviews for Massoud, The Afghan

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
07/22/08
Lisa Nesselson
Variety
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Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
02/03/03
AV Club

The most revealing images--those of Massoud at his most vulnerable--are buried under mounds of poorly edited footage and [de Ponfilly's] own boyish admiration.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
01/21/03
Maria Garcia
Film Journal International

History's bittersweet footnote is that though Massoud did not survive, his cause did. The spirit of Massoud the Afghan lives on.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
01/17/03
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

History has since overtaken Ponfilly's film, which now more than ever seems like but one chapter in a much larger story -- the ongoing tragedy of Afghanistan -- and a tragic tribute to all that might have been.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
12/04/02
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Massoud's story is an epic, but also a tragedy, the record of a tenacious, humane fighter who was also the prisoner (and ultimately the victim) of history.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
12/04/02
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An invaluable historical document thanks to the filmmaker's extraordinary access to Massoud, whose charm, cultivation and devotion to his people are readily apparent.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
12/04/02
Jonathan Foreman
New York Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's not the least of Afghan tragedies that this noble warlord would be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
12/03/02
J. Hoberman
Village Voice
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