What We Left Unfinished

Details

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This special limited edition slipcover is limited to 1,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Dekanalog is a film and soundtrack distribution company dedicated to the release of the most unique filmmaking voices and musical scores from around the world. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing this diverse and unique home video line!

In a time when film was more than just entertainment—it was a weapon—WHAT WE LEFT UNFINISHED unearths the incredible true stories behind five unfinished feature films from Afghanistan’s Communist era (1978-1991). Filmmakers who dared to defy the odds, creating stories that both reflected and resisted the shifting political tides, were thrust into a battle where their craft became a matter of life and death.

Through stunningly restored, newly rediscovered footage from these long-lost films, WHAT WE LEFT UNFINISHED takes you on an unforgettable journey into a world where the line between history and fiction often blurred beyond recognition. Witness the filmmakers’ struggles against scarce resources, relentless threats, and political oppression as they sought to tell stories they believed could change the fate of their country.

WHAT WE LEFT UNFINISHED is not just a chronicle of lost films—it’s a window into the soul of a nation torn apart by war, ideology, and shifting allegiances. You’ll come to understand the cost Afghan filmmakers paid under Communism, the rewards they reaped despite the dangers, and why they still believe that cinema holds the power to heal the wounds that continue to divide Afghanistan today.

This is a story of resilience, of hope, and of the unbreakable belief in the power of film to shape reality.

Join us in uncovering a hidden chapter of history. A story that’s unfinished—but still calling for completion.

directed by: Mariam Ghani
starring: Latif Ahmadi, Jawanshir Haidari, Asadollah Aram
2019 / 71 min / 1.85:1 / Dari, English DTS-HD MA 5.1

Additional info:

• Region A Blu-ray
• Introduction from filmmaker Mariam Ghani
  
• Extended interview with filmmaker Latif Ahmadi
• Q&A with filmmaker Mariam Ghani and Shahrzad Mojab, Director or Women and Gender Studies at the Institute at the University of Toronto
• Discussion with composer Qasim Naqvi and Mariam Ghani
• Follow The Leader (2019) - Short Film
• Trailer for Dark Days (1974)
• Trailer for Epic of Love (1986)
• Trailer for What We Left Unfinished
• English subtitles