The end of December is a time for looking back on the year: 2021 brought many downsides, such as the Taliban coming to power in Afghanistan. InAfghanistans Künstlerinnen und Künstler - Vergesst uns nicht! (Afghanistan's Artists - Don't Forget Us), the series Twist on the Franco-German channel ARTE explicitly addresses the situation of artists and cultural workers in the country, thus calling to mind what must not be forgotten.
In the article, Twist talks to Afghan artists who have left the country or are stuck there in the face of the Taliban threat. Narrowly escaping the regime or in some cases still threatened with death, they tell their stories.
Photographer Fatimah Hossaini, who managed to escape at the end of August, talks about her life as a lecturer at Kabul University, the founding of the Mastooraat Art Organization and her work as a curator of exhibitions throughout Afghanistan. Around the same time, director Shahrbanoo Sadat, along with several family members, managed to escape aboard one of the crowded evacuation planes. Some of her family remained behind in the country. Twist partly highlights Sadat's film Kabul Kinderheim, which is currently showing in German cinemas.
Yousef Bhooda, lead singer of Afghanistan's first metal band, District Unknown, has lived in New Castle since fleeing in 2014 and is part of the band Afreet. Afreet will donate the proceeds from their current song My land is breaking to the organization Sound Central - which aims to help evacuate Afghan musicians.
Also, artist and activist Sara Nabil, who was considered part of the Kabul art scene, has her say. Twist's section Psychogramm auf Instagram (engl.: Psychogram on Instagram) is taken over by exiled pop singer Sadiqa Madadgar. Her intention is to give hope to the people of Afghanistan.
