A documentary following the daring efforts of three Afghani men to protect their country's film archive is New Zealand's submission to the foreign language category of next year's Academy Awards.
A Flickering Truth was directed and produced by Kiwi Pietra Brettkelly, who spent two-and-a-half years in the war-torn country documenting how the men did things like build false walls to hide 100 years of history, after films and cinema were banned by the Taliban.
Each year countries are invited to submit their best foreign language film to the Academy for consideration.
In recommending A Flickering Truth, New Zealand Film Commission chief executive Dave Gibson praised Brettkelly as "an uncompromising and courageous filmmaker with a singular cinematic voice and vision."
Brettkelly described her time in Afghanistan as an adventure and recounted her fear when her film crew's van broke down in Taliban country.
"When foreigners are kidnapped, they hold them for ransom and it's a fundraising venture," she said in a July interview.
A Flickering Truth premiered at the 2015 Venice Film Festival and is currently screening in selected New Zealand cinemas.
Newshub.
