Afghan filmmaker Sahraa Karimi issues desperate plea to international cinema community, “I could be next on their hitlist”

Sahraa Karimi, an Afghan filmmaker and general director of national film company Afghan Film, has called for support from cinema communities around the world as her country falls to the Taliban insurgency.

Two days before the group took over Kabul, she posted her plea on Twitter. "I am writing this with a broken heart and with the deep hope that you will join us in saving my beautiful country from the Taliban."

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Karimi is the first woman to be appointed as the director-general of the state-run Afghan Film. Earlier, She posted a video as she ran through the streets of Kabul, retuning from a bank as it was being evacuated. "Taliban have entered the city and we are running away. Everyone is afraidf"

She also mentioned," 'We have grown accustomed to this silence, yet we know it is not fair.' Following an account of the Taliban's dark rule time. 'After twenty years later of immense gain and especially our younger generation, all could be lost again in this abandonment,' she wrote in the letter. 

Giving an account of the horrific situation she went on, "Children are dying in the camps due to dacoity and lack of milk. This is a humanitarian crisis, and yet the world is silent. We are used to this silence, but we know it is not fair. We know this decision to leave our people is wrong, we need your voice. What I have worked so hard for as a filmmaker in my country is likely to collapse. If the Taliban take power, they will ban all arts. Me and other filmmakers could be next on their hit list. They will violate the rights of women and our expression will be silenced."

She accused the media, government, and the humanitarian organisations of conveniently remaining silent and giving in with the' Peace Deal' with the Taliban.

Various film and media personalities across the world have expressed their concern, after her desperate plea was published.