At Five in the Afternoon

After the fall of the Taleban, girls in Afghanistan are free to attend school. One such girl wants to become the republic's first female president. At Five in the Afternoon is a poetic and at times humourous journey through contemporary Afghanistan. The film gives insights into women's struggle for their rights as well as the process of transition in their country. It is also a portrait of a land in ruins after the liberation from the Taleban regime. Director Samira Makhmalbaf has a gift for capturing the zeitgeist in her films. Here she is also well served by stark and beautiful images.

Samira Makhmalbaf (b. 1980) is the daughter of the Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and starred in his film The Cyclist when she was nine. With her first film as a director, The Apple (1997) she became the youngest director ever to participate in the official programme of the Cannes film festival. At Five in the Afternoon won two awards when it premiered at said festival in 2003.