Frame by Frame
By Neivin Mathew
In a modern liberal society, it is difficult to fathom a time and place where the simple act of taking a picture is outlawed. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan, apart from committing infamous atrocities, imposed a media ban throughout the country and sent it into darkness for half a decade.
Directed by Alexandria Bombach and Mo Scarpelli, Frame by Frame explores the newfound journalistic freedom of post-Taliban Afghanistan. The film gives insight into the hearts of four photojournalists who compromise their own safety in order to share the truth.
Najibullah Musafar, the eldest of the quartet, is a photography teacher, who had embedded himself within the Taliban after being recognized by the leaders as a painter. He now runs an institute for photojournalism, and the movie plays out like one of his lessons—intertwining with the stories of the three other photographers. Meanwhile, Wakil Kohsar is a fledgling photojournalist who covers issues from addiction to elections, after fleeing from the country during the Taliban rule. Massoud Hossaini, a Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist, narrates the emotional turmoil that a photographer goes through viewing the world from behind a lens. Farzana Wahidy, Hossaini’s wife, is the last of the quartet. She strives to capture the suffering of women in Afghanistan, and undergoes great personal risk simply to ensure that their horrifying stories are told.
This film is not only a commentary on the devastating effects of war on a nation, but also a bold assertion of identity. It highlights the fact that a photograph truly transcends all barriers. It is capable of illuminating the darkness of reality that mere words cannot capture, which gives a photographer unimaginable power to open the eyes of millions of people.
Frame by Frame is a visual masterpiece. The composition of each shot and the faces of the subjects it captures are capable of invoking pure, raw emotion. This documentary showcases a different side of Afghanistan, one that we don’t see on the news. From breathtaking landscapes and vibrant citizens, to the subtitles for dialogue, every frame is a painting. Enough credit cannot be given to the editing and music in this film. The stories of four seemingly unrelated individuals are weaved together seamlessly, while providing social contexts for each of the issues the photographers explore. Patrick Jonsson’s score is a perfect complement to the gorgeous imagery of this film; it truly enables Frame by Frame to convey the the beauty of Afghanistan, while revealing the ugliness that festers beneath the surface.
Ultimately, this documentary attempts to reveal the psyche of the photojournalist and showcase a nation trying to reinvent itself. Although they hide behind a lens, they are still wounded by the spectacles they witness. Frame by Frame is a deeply touching documentary that is visually mesmerizing; it is an affirmation that the human experience knows no borders.