»Global history has largely ignored our stories, reducing Afghanistan to a narrative of war, extremism and fundamentalism. Many people believe that Afghan women’s struggles only began in 2001 with international support, but that is far from the truth.«
– Roya Sadat

Kabul, the year 2023. On a billboard, we see a woman. Her look is a confident one, but then her image disappears under a paint roller. Off-screen, we hear women chanting: »Bread, work, freedom!« Immediately afterwards, the valiant protest is violently broken up.
The leader of the demo, Suraya, makes it home safely, and in the security of her home, surrounded by memories, she evokes the time of her youth and her friendship with Sima. A time of a freer Afghanistan, albeit threatened by domestic political tensions and the colonial interests of the major world powers.
1978. As a student, Suraya embraces the communist ideal of equality. Sima, the talented singer and daughter of the caretaker, grew up as a conservative Muslim. Her singing permeates the film, serving as a recurring theme of cultural identity. Sima’s Song describes the upheavals that led to the Soviet invasion of Kabul, set against the dramatic life stories of the two friends, who are drifting apart politically. Director Roya Sadat explores the historical roots of the current catastrophic situation in Afghanistan for women’s rights, rigorously centring the perspective of women in a male-dominated historical context.

Guest: Roya Sadat

In cooperation with LaDOC 

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