Mina Walking
Aga Khan Museum 77 Wynford Drive
Co-presented with the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival
We are excited to partner in the presentation of Mina Walking, directed by Yosef Baraki, which is screening as part of the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. Premiering at the Berlin Film Festival in 2015 where it was nominated for a Crystal Bear, Best First Feature Award, and the Amnesty Film Prize, Mina Walking is a remarkable feature debut from Toronto filmmaker Yosef Baraki inspired by street children of Kabul. Shot guerilla-style on city streets with mostly non-actors utilizing improvisation, first-time director Baraki has crafted an immense achievement, telling a story that is both timeless and timely about the lasting effects of the Taliban era and Coalition war from the perspective of a shattered Afghan family.’
Mina is a typical 12-year-old girl — feisty and energetic. But Mina lives in modern day Kabul, Afghanistan, and her circumstances are anything but typical. After losing her mother to a Taliban attack, Mina is left alone to take care of the household, looking after her senile grandfather, while her drug-addicted father wastes away. Eager to learn, Mina must skip school in order to earn a meager living for the household, peddling souvenirs on the street.
Premiering at the Berlin Film Festival in 2015 where it was nominated for a Crystal Bear, Best First Feature Award, and the Amnesty Film Prize, Mina Walking is a remarkable feature debut from Toronto filmmaker Yosef Baraki inspired by street children of Kabul. Shot guerilla-style on city streets with mostly non-actors utilizing improvisation, first-time director Baraki has crafted an immense achievement, telling a story that is both timeless and timely about the lasting effects of the Taliban era and Coalition war from the perspective of a shattered Afghan family.’
Yosef Baraki’s exposure to filmmakers like Kiarostami and the Dardenne brothers gave him the understanding that cinema does not have to be driven by entertainment, but also by realistic por- traits of a particular society and culture. Following his studies at York University and Humber College, Baraki wrote and directed his fifth short film Der Kandidat, recipient of the prestigious Norman McLaren Award at the Montreal World Film Festival in 2013.