Afghan film starring Golshifteh Farahani premieres in Estonia
The debut feature from Chabname Zariab focuses on a woman working in a bacha bazi house as the Taliban close in on Kabul in 2021.
By Vincent Parker ·
Golshifteh Farahani stars in When She Hears the Bells, a debut feature written and directed by Chabname Zariab. The film is a thriller set in Kabul during the final days of 2021 before the Taliban took control of the capital. It will premiere in the First Feature Competition of the 30th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia.
Farahani plays Leila, a widow who takes a job in a kitchen to start a new life. She discovers that the establishment is a bacha bazi house, where boys are forced to dress in women's clothing and perform for men. The story follows her efforts to help a group of children escape before the city falls. Sayed Hashimi co-stars in the production.
Zariab, an Afghan filmmaker based in Paris, wrote the script with her sister Parande Zariab. The project was produced by Alta Rocca Films in France, Starhaus Filmproduktion in Germany, Versus Production in Belgium, and Arte France Cinema. Le Pacte will distribute the film in France, while Grandfilm handles distribution in Germany and O'Brother in Belgium.
The production team originally planned to film in Iraqi Kurdistan because its landscapes resemble those of Afghanistan. They changed plans after bombings between Iran and Israel in 2024. Most of the movie was shot in Casablanca, Morocco. Zariab worked remotely with an unnamed cinematographer in Kabul to capture wide shots of the city. These images were meant to blend with the footage from Morocco to create an authentic look without exposing local residents.
Zariab said she wanted to show the reality for women before and after the Taliban's return in August 2021. She noted that the world largely looked away as millions of women saw their rights erased. The director described the film as a personal responsibility and an act of quiet resistance. She said bacha bazi is a symbolic reflection of a society where laws enforce the separation of men and women.
The director spent several months trying to contact Farahani. Zariab had first seen the actress in About Elly by Asghar Farhadi and later in The Patience Stone. She felt the character Leila could only be played by Farahani. Farahani accepted the role quickly after learning about the subject. On set, she guided non-professional actors and choreographed movements with the children to keep takes from being interrupted.
Zariab chose the title to center the female character. The little bells refer to the bacha bazi practice, which is known in Eastern cultures but enigmatic to Western audiences. The director noted that some actors refused to audition after hearing the title because they found the subject too taboo. The film ends on the collapse of Kabul, leaving the question of those who flee open.
The film is set against the backdrop of a society where women are increasingly erased. Zariab pointed out that women are no longer allowed to work and girls are barred from school after the age of 12. She hopes audiences will understand the distress of the entire society. The director said the film is a story within history, aiming to shine a light on a population that the world has once again abandoned to its fate.
