Taliban control reshapes Afghan cinemaCEFR A1
15 Jan 2026
Adapted from Hasht-e-Subh Daily, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Sohaib Ghyasi, Unsplash
- The Taliban have controlled Afghanistan since August 2021.
- They closed many cinema halls across the country.
- They removed television series and films from broadcasters.
- They removed women from public media roles.
- The authorities closed a state film organisation in 2025.
- People worry the old film archive could be lost.
- Many filmmakers now live abroad and face problems.
- Life for actors and film crews is very hard.
- The Taliban produce films that follow their ideas.
- Women are absent in all Taliban film productions.
Difficult words
- control — have power or authority over a placecontrolled
- remove — take something away from a place or personremoved
- archive — a place where old films or information are kept
- filmmaker — a person who makes films or moviesfilmmakers
- abroad — in or to a foreign country, not home
- absent — not present or not included in something
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you like watching films?
- Have you been to a cinema?
- Would you be worried if a film archive was lost?
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