Focusing on Afghan women losing rights under the Taliban, Yellow is a thought-provoking and beautiful piece. Director Elham Ehsas tells this story through Laili, as she buys her first Chadari (a fully body veil.) We are more than excited to share our 5 Questions With series featuring Elham Ehsas himself!
To look out for more interviews like this, be sure to check out our BitPix.
What inspired you to start making films?
As an actor, I’m quite used to playing the Muslim villain or the Muslim terrorist and I’ve always felt a sense of deep frustration that these were the only stories being made. As an Afghan, having grown up in Kabul, I have seen beautiful stories of love, loss, comedy, tragedy and everything in between, just like any other place or people. I just didn’t see any of those stories on the Western cinema screen so I decided to start writing and making my own. I want to tell human stories from the east, my home, and show it to the west, my adopted home.
Were there any challenges in making this project?
Because this is such a small budget film and we had such a small crew and only one day to shoot the entire film – I found myself juggling a lot of different hats from writer, director and actor to runner and driver. I had all the props in my room the night before and on the morning of the shoot, I put everything in my car and started driving to set an hour away. It was only after I got there that I realised I had forgotten to pack the most important thing – the actual blue veils that the entire film is about!
Is there any type of message or emotion that you hope the viewer takes away from watching this film?
Yellow is about Afghan women slowly becoming invisible. They are being forgotten in their own country because of the growing set of decrees by the Taliban who have started a whole campaign of gender persecution in Afghanistan. They just don’t recognise women as the citizens of that country and have been locked up in their homes with no sense of a future on the horizon. I hope this film puts the viewer in the place of an Afghan woman and what it feels like for half of a country’s population who have been deprived of education, jobs, money and almost all of their rights as human beings.
How does it feel to be able to screen the film at HollyShorts?
It’s truly a pleasure to be screening at the iconic HollyShorts Film Festival. For many filmmakers, seeing their film projected on the big screen, especially one as historic as the Chinese Theatre, in front of an engaged audience is a dream come true. It is a chance to witness the impact of their work on the viewers, observe their reactions, and receive feedback. So quite naturally, we are very very proud to be at Hollyshorts with Yellow. Thank you for having us, HollyShorts.
What’s on the horizon for you?
I am writing a few more projects as well as embarking on writing my debut feature so I hope to take all of these Afghan stories I have inside me and give them further life on the big screen.
Thank you Elham for sharing your responses and passion for Afghan stories. Moreover, be sure to check out Yellow at the upcoming HollyShorts 2023 Film Festival on August 19th at 7:30pm for “Saturday Spotlight.” Click here to get tickets for the 19th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival, running from August 10th – August 19th at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres.
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