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Abdul Hamid Mandgar, Colorless, 2020. Film still. Courtesy and © the artist. Selected for AFI'25 by Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan in Exile e.V. (CCAA in eXiLe).

Abdul Hamid Mandgar

Colorless

(2020) 6 minutes 55 seconds

Selected for AFI '25 by Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan in Exile e.V. (CCAA in eXiLe)

The film tells the story of a young child in Afghanistan who has a deep passion for dancing, turning this passion into a dream. However, this dream faces opposition from his older brother, who represents traditional beliefs and societal norms. The central drama of the film revolves around the struggle between individual desires and social constraints.

In a society where dancing – especially for girls – is restricted by cultural and social limitations, the child’s love for dance symbolizes freedom of expression and the search for personal identity. The older brother, as a representative of tradition and conservative family structures, tries to discourage him from pursuing his passion. This conflict is not only a family issue but also reflects deeper social layers.

With its minimalist visual style and subtle narrative, the film depicts a suffocating atmosphere where individual freedoms are curtailed by unwritten societal rules. By focusing on a child, the film highlights how even the smallest and most innocent dreams are affected by deeply rooted traditions and beliefs. This cinematic work offers a poetic and critical perspective on a society where personal dreams are easily suppressed, yet the hope for change remains alive in the eyes of a child.

Artist Q&A

What compels you to work in moving image, and how did you first become interested in the medium?
Having an independent festival for artists means that our work as artists is given a purpose.

What compels you to work with moving image, and when did you first become interested in the medium?
Everyone finds a way or a clear way to say their words. I think I say my words with a better image than I can remember from the first phone I had as a child about 14 years ago.

Can you speak about the potential that dreaming and altered states of reality offer individuals and societies? How do you feel this is reflected in filmmaking and in your artwork specifically?
I think that a big part of cinema is dreaming itself, without dreaming, I think the story loses its power. My films are very close to reality, but without a doubt, my dreaming is also reflected in them.

Please share a list of books, music, films, artworks, thinkers, spaces and places that inspire your practice, and in particular have fed into your thinking around this film.
Many books and movies have influenced my work, I will mention a few of them, the movie Aida, Cold War, Where is the friend’s home, Chahansbar Suri, Schindler’s List, The Lives of others, and the book Art of Cinema, History of Cinema...

What new projects or lines of research are currently preoccupying you?
I’m making a documentary in Afghanistan, about the rights of women and children after the Taliban took power, and I’m still looking for a producer for that as well.

Photo Saraj Bayat

Artist Link

Abdul Hamid Mandgar, is a young Afghan filmmaker who won the Best Director award at the Herat International Women's Film Festival and won 18 other awards. Hamid has made 8 short films, all about women, children and war in Afghanistan. After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, Abdul Hamid now lives in France.

Social Media Handles: @hamid_mandgar (instagram)

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