Press release from Ian Hamilton
Honeymoon in Kabul, an entirely self funded documentary, will screen on the ABC and at charity screenings around Australia.
The film, follows newlyweds Maggie Haertsch and Jean Paul Bell on their whirlwind mission to take medical aid and humour to the children of Kabul.
A statement from the director (Ian Hamilton):
When I heard about Jean Paul and Maggie’s plans to celebrate their second marriage by honeymooning in war torn Afghanistan I was intrigued. What did they hope to achieve when western aid had failed Afghanistan for decades? How far would John Paul go to make someone happy? Could his humour make a difference in a country ravaged by
war?
The film explores the politics of charity and aid in a country long suffering from aid fatigue. One of the central themes of the film explores issues and sensitivities around charity and aid. Whether well-intentioned amateurs could actually make any difference in a country where the fundamental problems are so profound that they’ve cracked the very bedrock of Afghan society.
The film also explores Jean Paul’s use of humour to unify and transcend race, class and culture through Jean Paul’s mime performances. From the beginning we where also interested in Jean Paul’s belief in the power of humour to heal and transcend cultural and political boundaries.
We also wanted to challenge the West’s perception of Afghans and Muslims stereotypes portrayed in the media post 9/11. As western countries fail to deliver on their promises of aid to Afghanistan to the tune of 10 billion dollars, We wanted to explore the responsibility and power of the individual to make positive change in society and challenge the notion that we should all just leave it to the experts.
The film is scheduled to be broadcast on the 10th December on ABC Television and the film makers have also organised the following charity screenings:
Brisbane Palace Centro. November 6th,
http://www.honeymooninkabul.com/invitebrisbane.html
Newcastle Greater Union King St. November 18th,
http://www.honeymooninkabul.com/invitenewcastle.html
Sydney: Chauvel Paddington. November 19th.
http://www.honeymooninkabul.com/invitesydney.html