Breaking the Silence - Music in Afghanistan (2002) - DVD

The Taliban's prohibition of music was the most severe in history. Apart from unaccompanied chants, all music was banned and instruments were broken and burnt. This film documents the remarkable moment when the country was reconnected with its musicial culture. Shot in Kabul und Peshawar (Pakistan) in January 2002, two months after the fall of the Taliban, this film is an introduction to the music of Afghanistan and the way it's been caught in the crossfire of conflicting regimes over the past 25 years. Most poignantly, it shows the musicians in Kabul who are now rebuilding Afghanistan's devastated musicial life. Directed by Simon Broughton, it won the documentary price at the Golden Prague festival in 2002.