Saliha Wazirzada

While studying documentary film subjects in my 1st year at University I focused on the Topic of my cultural Background as an Afghan Pakistani woman living in Australia. I wanted to make a documentary about how I go searching for my Afghan identity by going to Afghanistan and Pakistan to help refugee women and children. During my study I learnt a great deal about these Afghan women who had been a victim of war for years and years. I felt really close to them and their stories. I felt that I had to tell people about how brave they are and that they are the real heroes as their husbands go to war and they are left behind to raise kids with no income. While hearing many sad stories of these women, I felt like I wanted to help them or give them hope. I wanted the world to understand them the way I felt their pain and their courage. When writing the script for Zarmina , I wanted to tell the story of an Afghan woman who is brave and courageous . She would do anything to make her son’s life better by suppressing her traumatic emotions that she does not show to anyone. Through this film drama, I aim to show that emotions are universal and that two women or two persons growing in two separate places can connect at a human level. That forgiveness is the way to peace and by killing each other we make way to more hatred. I want to show that goodness begets goodness, in a world where there are so many Wars taking place all over. I want the world to understand that these women have faces and voices and they are not just suppressed and hidden. I want people to look at these women as capable of making a difference in their society by fighting the false stereotype that Afghanistan or Pakistan is a Man’s world and that we don’t get to see women there. This is evident visually in the film as we see the amount of ‘Women within the cast. It also shows that these women want to get educated and work hard. Through Zarmina’s story I want tell the story of a Mother and child who hope for a better future for themselves. During this journey Zarmina comes face to face with her trauma and overcomes it eventually. She is driven to make her son’s future better. The family is in a war zone and life is difficult.