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Afghanistan 1979: The War That Changed the World

Name: Afghanistan 1979: The War That Changed the World
Director: Gulya Mirzoeva
Released: 2014
Duration: 52 min

Representation Score

4.3/10

Fair

2014

Director

Gulya Mirzoeva

Runtime

52 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The documentary serves as a geopolitical examination of the Soviet-Afghan War, emphasizing systemic historical forces over individual identity politics. It succeeds in shifting the perspective away from a purely Eurocentric viewpoint by centering Afghan and Soviet-Afghan dynamics. However, the film's focus on state-level actors and military resistance results in a lack of diverse representation. The narrative architecture favors masculine-coded political and military roles, leaving little room for broader social identities.

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Category Breakdown

Does Afghanistan 1979: The War That Changed the World have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses on macro-level geopolitical struggles between state actors and religious factions. It does not include any characters or narratives related to LGBTQ+ identities.

How does Afghanistan 1979: The War That Changed the World portray gender?

Fair

The narrative centers on military and political domains traditionally dominated by masculine-coded roles. It does not provide evidence of women's ability to drive the story in geopolitical decision-making.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Afghanistan 1979: The War That Changed the World?

Good

The film centers on non-Western actors, focusing on the Afghan population and Soviet-Afghan relations. This shifts the focus away from a Eurocentric lens typically found in Western war documentaries.

How does Afghanistan 1979: The War That Changed the World represent religion and culture?

Good

The documentary explores the tension between secular communist ideologies and Islamic traditions. It examines the systemic consequences of Western intervention in a non-Western territory.

Does Afghanistan 1979: The War That Changed the World include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no discernible information regarding the depiction of physical or neurodivergent disabilities. The focus remains on political and military movements.

Present on Screen

Centers non-Western actors and the Afghan experience.
Disrupts traditional Eurocentric lenses in war documentation.
Critiques Western hegemony and imperialist involvement.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities and narratives.
Fails to center women's ability to drive the story in political decision-making.
Provides no discernible depiction of disability representation.

Official Synopsis

'Afghanistan 1979: the war that changed the world', is a French documentary about the Sovjet invasion in Afghanistan in 1979. It was one of the most crucial events of the 20th century, and changed the world forever. This documentary gives a good insight in the Afghan-Russian war ; the alliance between the Russian and Afghan communist governments ; Islamic resistance ; the support of America for the resistance and its consequences on the war.

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