True Warriors

Kabul, 11 December 2014: At the premiere of a play by the AZDAR theatre group, which deals with suicide bombings, a 17-year-old blows himself up. Some members of the audience initially applaud, thinking the explosion is part of the performance – until panic breaks out.

The documentary TRUE WARRIORS tells the story of the people who were on stage that day. Through their play, they wanted to take a stand against the terror that is eating away at their society – now they themselves are paralysed by fear. Performing theatre? Unthinkable. Becoming famous as musicians? Too dangerous. It is only when violence strikes them a second time that the artists confront their powerlessness with all their might, radicalise themselves artistically and begin to overcome their trauma. TRUE WARRIORS shows us that we must oppose terror with more than just hatred and fear.

Niklas and Ronja von Wurmb-Seibel were living in Kabul in 2014 and met the director Nasir Formuli shortly before moving to Germany. He invited them to the premiere, but their flight could not be rescheduled. Following the attack, they decided to capture the day and the artists’ reactions in a documentary film.

Following the screening, there will be a discussion with Niklas von Wurmb-Seibel, Faieqa Sultani (the protagonist) and Alireza Haidary (her husband, filmmaker/cameraman).

Admission is free; donations are welcome. The proceeds will go to the Kabul Air Bridge.