#Film17

15 Jan 2026

Taliban control reshapes Afghan cinema

Since August 2021 the Taliban have closed cinemas, removed women from media and dissolved the state film body. An investigation shows fear for the national film archive and serious limits on filmmakers inside and outside Afghanistan.

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Photo by Sohaib Ghyasi, Unsplash

10 Jan 2026

Homebound: Friendship and hardship in India

Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and based on a 2020 New York Times report, follows two friends from a remote Indian village as caste, religion and the pandemic shape their lives. The film was shortlisted for an Oscar (2026).

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28 Dec 2025

Verse: filmmaking for women's rights in Myanmar

After the 2021 coup, Exile Hub grew to support journalists and rights defenders. Filmmaker Verse left reporting after gender bias and now makes films about women’s lives, winning grants and screening work at festivals.

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24 Dec 2025

How village rain stories shape climate action

Emily Wanja Nderitu brings African village stories about rain and farming to global climate talks. She works with storytellers, scientists and policymakers to make local knowledge count after conferences end.

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4 Dec 2025

Queer cinema emerges in Azerbaijan

Independent short films and documentaries in Azerbaijan now record queer lives and history amid frequent rights violations, hate speech and marginalisation in arts. Filmmakers include local trans and non-binary authors and some foreign directors.

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25 Nov 2025

Danielle Dieffenthaller, producer of Westwood Park, dies at 60

On November 22 Kes the Band’s Instagram announced the death of Danielle Dieffenthaller. The Trinidadian television and film producer of Westwood Park had renal failure since 2018 and died in hospice at age 60.

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25 Nov 2025

Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican music and film star, dies at 81

Jimmy Cliff died on November 24, 2025, aged 81. His wife Latifa said he died of pneumonia after a seizure; he was a leading Jamaican cultural figure and the only living musician to hold the Order of Merit.

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21 Oct 2025

Sabar Bonda: a Marathi film about rural queer life

Sabar Bonda (2025) is a Marathi film that shows queer lives in rural India. It appears after the 2023 Supriyo v. Union of India case and has won prizes and mixed public attention.

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10 Sept 2025

Hai Anis: a film on online grooming in Malaysia

Hai Anis, a film by Azura Nasron, has started public talks about online grooming in Malaysia. The film, published by EngageMedia and republished via Global Voices, is being used in education and public screenings.

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4 Sept 2025

The Other Sahel: Artists in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso

A short documentary by Joël Hevi shows artists and cultural entrepreneurs in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. The film asks viewers to rethink Sahel stereotypes and highlights culture as a tool for social change.

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31 Aug 2025

Tasbaqa: Central Asian Tortoise on the Ustyurt Plateau

A short documentary by British director Saxon Bosworth follows the threatened Central Asian tortoise, called Tasbaqa, on the Ustyurt Plateau. The film shows the tortoise’s active months, features a Kazakh dombra soundtrack and aims to support conservation work.

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17 Aug 2025

Summer School: a film about a Czech–Vietnamese family

Summer School (Letní škola) is set in 2001 and follows a Czech‑Vietnamese family in Cheb. The film explores language, identity and family tensions and was shown at Karlovy Vary in July 2025 before reaching Czech cinemas.

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10 Jul 2025

Khaled Khella shows hidden struggles

Khaled Khella is an independent Egyptian filmmaker whose short films examine desire, power and everyday survival. He gained international attention with festival-screened shorts and the film "Egyptian Misery" and continues to address urgent social issues.

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