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View from a Grain of Sand

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Shot in refugee camps of Pakistan and the war-torn city of Kabul, three remarkable Afghan women lead us through the maze of Afghanistan’s complex history, informing this examination of how international interventions, war and the rise of political Islam have stripped Afghan women of their freedom over the last 30 years.

Combining verité footage, interviews and rare archival material, this evocative film is a harrowing, thought-provoking and movingly intimate portrait of a still divided and brutalized nation. Addressing timely issues of women, Islam, and US foreign policy, View From A Grain of Sand is a compelling and vital addition to the global dialogue of our times.
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License Period:  5 years
Running Time:  1:21:20
Video Resolution:  Appropriate for small screens and projection
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Running Time:  1:21:20
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License Period:  21 days (beginning at time of purchase)
Running Time:  1:21:20
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“Impressive…..A remarkable treasure trove….” -Variety

“searing, wide-reaching…….an especially timely addition to the collective history of the plight of women under repression”  -Los Angeles Times

“..vibrant cinematography…. we get a glimpse of the complicated, beautiful and tragic patchwork that is Afghanistan.”   - Ginanne Brownell, London, Film critic for Newsweek

“gripping…. Nanji narrates this history with clarity and passion….an insightful, often heart-wrenching account of trauma, war and rights abuses…” - Los Angeles Weekly

“one of those very rare films that approaches the issue of Afghanistan, Afghan women's rights, and US policy with a decent level of sensitivity, political maturity, and sophistication…” - Sonali Kolhatkar, KPFK RADIO, Los Angeles,Co-Author: Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords and the Propaganda of Silence

"Meena Nanji's documentary is a history lesson you won't forget in a hurry." - Timeout Mumbai

“Sharp, simple reminders of major political facts are woven into a stunning cinematic fabric in Meena Nanji’s brilliant documentary…” - Arvind Sivaramakrishnan The Hindu, India

“…a fascinating portrait of resilience…”- Flavorpill.com

“a work of love and passion for a Afghanistan and the Afghan people… -Adam Shapiro, former country director, Global Rights, Afghanistan.

AWARD: Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary

Silver Conch, International Documentary Feature, 2008

AWARD: Canada International Film Festival

Best Documentary 2007

AWARD: Seattle South Asian Festival 2007

Audience Award, Best Feature

NOMINEE Los Angeles International Asian American Film Festival

Grand Jury Award, Documentary 2007

NOMINEE:
Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Social Justice Award 2007

NOMINEE:
International Documentary Association, Los Angeles

Best Documentary Feature 2006 Shortlist

NOMINEE:
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival

Best Documentary Feature 2006

SELECTED SCREENINGS 2006-2008

Cinema Verite, Tehran Int’l Documentary Film Festival, Iran October 2008

National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA, August2008

Asia House, London, UK, 2008

Ljubliana International Film Festival, Slovenia, 2008

Mumbai International Film Festival of Documentary, India, 2008

Birds Eye Film Festival, London & Glasgow, UK 2008

Reel Afghan Film Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland

Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, Greece

Women’s International Film Festival, Rehovot, Israel

Women’s International Film Festival,
Seoul, Korea,

Fowler Museum, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA

RedCat Theater, Los Angeles, USA

We the People Film Festival, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, UK

Seattle South Asian Film Festival, Seattle, WA, USA

Asian American Film Festival, Washington D.C, USA

Global Peace Festival 2007, Orlando, Florida, USA

Berkshire International Film Festival, USA

Echo Park Human Rights Film Festival

22nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival, USA

Dochouse and Frontline Club Screenings, Ritzy Cinema, London, UK

VC Film Fest, Los Angeles, USA

Arab & Arab-American Film Festival, Third I, New York, USA

IFP Market, New York, USA

29th Starz Denver Film Festival

19th Rocky Mountain Women’s Festival, Colorado Springs

Indo-American Association Film Festival, New York

San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival

Kathmandu International Film Festival, Nepal

Third I South Asian Film Festival, San Francisco, CA, USA

Meena Nanji Meena Nanji has been working in film/video for the last 12 years. She is known for her experimental work which has been recognized by the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Paul Robeson Fund, The American Film Institute, Coporation for Public Broadcasting, among others. Her work has won numerous awards and has screened at film/video festivals internationally as well as broadcast on PBS stations throughout the US, and on European television. Titles include View From A Grain of Sand, that examines the last 30 years of Afghan womens rights, Voices of the Morning, an experimental video about the effects of orthodox muslim law on a young women, Living in Colour about 2nd generation South Asian youth living in Los Angeles, It Is A Crime, and others. Meena has produced short films and has curated and coordinated various film/video festivals around the world. She has been a juror on grant-giving organizations and for film festivals and has been invited to guest lecture at universities and conferences around the world. She is also a freelance writer and her articles have most recently appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Znet, and the UN Daily Journal.

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