Ariel Nasr
2021The Forbidden Reel
Ariel Nasr
Ahmed Zahed, Adbul Rasool Khalaqi
According to the official history of Afghanistan, ruthless destruction has always prevailed over art and creation; but there is another tale to be told, the forgotten account of a diverse and progressive country, seen through the lens of innovative filmmakers, a story that survives thanks to a few brave Afghans, a small but very passionate group that secretly fought to save a huge film archive that was constantly menaced by war and religious fanaticism.
The Forbidden Reel
The Boxing Girls of Kabul
Ariel Nasr
A remarkable group of young Afghan women A group of young Afghan women train to represent their country as boxers in the 2012 Olympics. This documentary follows them as they embark on a journey of both personal and political transformation.
The Boxing Girls of Kabul
In the Name of All Canadians
Andrea Schmidt, Ariel Nasr
Hot Docs will commemorate Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation with the commissioning of In the Name of All Canadians, a compilation of six short documentaries inspired by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. From Indigenous rights to multiculturalism to the controversial ‘notwithstanding clause,’ participating filmmakers have each selected a specific aspect of the Charter to explore, looking at how it resonates in the stories of their fellow Canadians.
In the Name of All Canadians
The Mosque
Ariel Nasr
The story of the Quebec Mosque Shooting—the first ever mass shooting in a mosque in the West—is known around the world, but the story of the community that survived the attack is all but unknown. The Mosque: A Community's Struggle is an intimate portrait of the resilient Muslim community of Ste-Foy, Québec, as they struggle to survive and shift the narrative of what it means to be a Muslim, one year after the devastating attack that took the lives of six of their members. As the world moves on, this small mosque and its community fights Islamophobia, harassment and hate speech. How will the community heal and how will they stop the rhetoric that threatens to precipitate further violence?
The Mosque
