"A problem was the lack of cooperation of the Afghan community itself. The women, though living in Iran, were under cover and not willing to participate in the film, and none of the ethnic groups were willing to work together or be together"
About this Quote
The line about “none of the ethnic groups were willing to work together” widens the frame from gendered invisibility to fractured identity. “Afghan community itself” is treated as a single unit, but Afghanistan’s ethnic and linguistic divisions - hardened by war, displacement, and mistrust - don’t dissolve just because people share exile. The repetition of “together or be together” sounds blunt, almost exasperated, but it’s also revealing: the film he wants requires collective presence, shared space, a kind of public intimacy. His subjects can’t afford that.
Subtextually, the quote exposes the ethical tension in socially conscious cinema: representation depends on access, and access depends on power. Makhmalbaf positions himself as blocked by his subjects, yet what’s really being documented is the cost of being seen. The “problem” isn’t only their noncooperation; it’s the political and cultural conditions that make cooperation unsafe.
Quote Details
| Topic | Human Rights |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Makhmalbaf, Mohsen. (2026, January 17). A problem was the lack of cooperation of the Afghan community itself. The women, though living in Iran, were under cover and not willing to participate in the film, and none of the ethnic groups were willing to work together or be together. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/a-problem-was-the-lack-of-cooperation-of-the-71517/
Chicago Style
Makhmalbaf, Mohsen. "A problem was the lack of cooperation of the Afghan community itself. The women, though living in Iran, were under cover and not willing to participate in the film, and none of the ethnic groups were willing to work together or be together." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/a-problem-was-the-lack-of-cooperation-of-the-71517/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"A problem was the lack of cooperation of the Afghan community itself. The women, though living in Iran, were under cover and not willing to participate in the film, and none of the ethnic groups were willing to work together or be together." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/a-problem-was-the-lack-of-cooperation-of-the-71517/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
