Kabuli Kid (Barmat Akram,2008) France

Reviewed by Joel Pedersen. Viewed at Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Kabuli kid gave us a panoramic view of afganistan. It was like a private tour given by the most well traveled in town… a taxi cab driver named Khaled. The view was hardly breath bit of tourism like that of Vicky Christina Barcelona. It brutally honest and in fact everything in site was brown and beaten. However, as a frequent film viewer I prefer abit of honesty.

I enjoyed this film becuase the main character Khaled was someone I could really route for and respect as a person. He is consided a person of some ill fortune in his own community, For he has no sons but a passle of daughters hurrying about the house in head scarves. Khaled is kind in small things, he treats all his daughters with affection, and in a time of serious economic struggle he allow collage students into his cab free of charge for rides to the university.

However the utimate test of his kindness and compassion comes hidden under a blue veil. She leaves a bundle in the back seat that turns Khaleds life upside down. Ironically this new bundle is a boy baby. The answer in someways to Khaleds prayers. The next two days all of his time and resources are spent trying the boys mother. He can not believe that a mother would ever leave something as valuable as her own child behind. We follow Khaled on a tour of Afgans failing social services; crooked cops, an orpanage that refuses to take in kids, well meaning forign philanthropists.

Seeing no help is offered to him, he himself soon becomes desperate and trys to leve the baby in someone elses cab. But only to not get very far before being called back to collect the child. Khaled makes us question what doing the right thing really means in a place where anyone can slip through the cracks of society. Who should you save? The end will leave you guessing as foreign films often do. But I left the movie feeling good knowing I had faith in Khaled to make the right choice. Faith in a man who doesnt mind fashioning a baby bottle from a coke can.