Afghan Deja Vu tracks down people who were once the subject of our film and finds out what their life is like after the Taliban takeover. After the Taliban came to power in August 2021, the situation in Afghanistan changed. As the former government fled the country, it lived under Sharia law. As a result, creative people, like artists, musicians, singers, practically became outlaws and had to leave the country.
Dr Sarmast, a participant in the Dangerous Music documentary, managed to flee the country and helped some of his students follow. So did Aryana Sayeed, the singer whose story is covered in the Art at the Stake documentary. She escaped Afghanistan on a USAF plane the day after Kabul fell. She would have been killed by the Taliban for her art and especially for daring to practice it since she was a woman.
Another Art at the Stake film participant, Roya Sadat, is the first Afghan woman cinematographer to make feature films and documentaries on women's rights. After the Taliban seized power, she couldn't continue working at home. She is now retired in the USA and doubts she'd ever be able to go back home.
Watch our film for more stories and find out how it feels to be an alien to their own country.
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