Today’s movie is a
drama with a scene that happens on December 27. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
THE KITE
RUNNER
In 2000 Amir Qadiri, an
Afghan-American writer has just had his novel, A Season for Ashes published
when he gets a phone call from Rahim Khan, an old friend of his father, who is
living in Peshawar, Pakistan. Amir flashes back to 1979 Afghanistan. Amir was
the son of a wealthy man called Agha
Sahib. Amir’s best friend is Hassan, the son of his father’s servant, Ali. Amir
participates in kite fighting, with a Hassan acting as a retriever, who gets
the crashed kites that Amir has won by cutting their strings. Amir often reads
stories, his own and others to Hassan. Hassan vows absolute obedience to Amir.
Three older boys bully and taunt Amir, but Hassan drives them off. However, on
the day when Amir wins the citywide kite-fighting contest, tragedy strikes.
Hassan goes to retrieve the last kite when he is cornered and raped by the
leader of the bullies, Assef. Amir observes this but does nothing. Amir later
hides his watch under Hassan’s pillow and tells his father that Hassan stole
it. Agha Sahib doesn’t believe it, but Ali and Hassan leave anyway. On December
27, 1979 [46:08 to 47:26] the Soviets invade Afghanistan and Agha Shib and Amir
flee to Pakistan. By 1988 Amir has graduated from college in America with a
literature degree. His father gets cancer. Amir meets Soraya, the daughter of a
former Afghan general and they get married shortly before Amir’a father dies.
Back in 2000 Amir goes to meet Rahim Khan and learned what happened in
Afghanistan after he and his father fled. Rahim Khan tried to take care of
their house and got Hassan to return as caretaker. However Afghan soldiers
killed Hassan and his wife because they were members of an ethnic minority.
Their son Sohrab was taken to an orphanage. Rahim Khan wants Amir to go to
Afghanistan and find Sohrab. Amir resists until Rahim Khan reveals the Agha
Sahib was actually Hassan’s father. Amir meets a Taliban official who is using
Sohrab for sexual purposes and is surprised to find it is Assef. Amir and
Sohrab escape from Assef and they return to the USA, where Amir takes Sohrab
into his home.
An interesting drama. Covers a
society not usually mentioned in American films. Provides a window into the
life of the Near East.
War in a Distant Country
by David C. Isby (Arms and Armor Press, London, 1989) at page 23 gives the date
of the invasion
Producers - Walter F. Parkes,
Laurie McDonald, Sam Mendes and Sidney Kimmel
Awards – The film was nominated for Best Original Score at
the 80th Academy Awards
Director - Marc Forster
Screenplay - David Benioff
Runtime – 2 hours 8 minutes
Released – December 14, 2007
Starring –
Khalid Abdalla as Amir Qadiri
Zekeria Ebrahimi as Young Amir
Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada as Young Hassan
Homayoun Ershadi as the Agha Sahib (Baba)
Atossa Leoni as Soraya
Shaun Toub as Rahim Khan
Abdul Salaam Yusoufzai as Assef
Elham Ehsas as Young Assef
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