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Ahmad Masood / Reuters, file
The Afghan national sport of buzkashi is played by men on horseback competing to throw a beheaded calf, goat, or sheep into a scoring circle.
KABUL, Afghanistan – In sports, there’s tough, and then there’s Afghan tough. In a country where war has been a way of life for decades, it only makes sense that Afghanistan’s national sport is a fierce one.
Unless you remember the movie "Rambo 3," chances are you’ve never heard of the sport “buzkashi” – but to the little boys and grown men of Afghanistan, it’s the stuff that dreams are made of. Born during the days of Genghis Khan, it’s a no-holds-barred sport where there are few rules and an abundance of violence.
Just like polo, the game is played entirely on horseback. But that’s where the similarity ends.
Instead of competing for possession of a ball, the players, called “chapandaz,” battle each other to gain control of a headless, disemboweled goat carcass. Rules vary widely, but generally once competitors get hold of the carcass, they have to drag it to the goal while being ferociously battered by whips, fists, and whatever else the competition has to offer.
To the victor go the spoils, which, depending on the circumstances, can range from a huge sum of money, to a plot of land or a cache of AK-47s.
Buzkashi Boys is an intense, gritty film made in Afghanistan about two street children. After numerous international awards, the movie is now eligible to be nominated for an Academy Award. ITN's Emma Murphy reports.
In Afghanistan, it's dog-fight-dog world
It may seem counterintuitive that anything so brutal could be the inspiration for a heartwarming film and the foundation for an American-Afghan partnership. But when you peel back the layers here, you may see that the sport is a lot like its home: battle-ridden, yet full of heart.
This is what moved American filmmaker Sam French to direct “Buzkashi Boys,” an award-winning tale which is now getting Oscar buzz.
‘Not just bombs, bullets and burkas’
French says he chased a girl to Kabul four years ago, but wound up falling deeply in love with a nation instead.
The USC film school graduate had no job lined up here, little knowledge of the country or culture and expected to be holed up in an apartment during his stay. He was stunned by the warmth and hospitality of the Afghan people.
“I immediately saw that there was a disconnect between what we see in the news media and what I see every day. It’s not just bombs and bullets and burkas here,” French told NBC News during a recent interview in Kabul.
He set out to change Western perceptions through film-making and decided to center his first project around the story of two young boys. One is a street beggar dreaming of a better life, the other, a young boy daring to walk beyond his blacksmith father’s footsteps.
French was particularly inspired by the children he met here, because just like their American counterparts who dream of growing up to basketball or football stars, they hope to become national buzkashi stars.
“We wanted to tell a story about two kids who have larger than life dreams. And show that even here, in a country wracked by war, the hope of a better life connects us all,” said French. “There are people here doing things and dreaming of things just like everyone else in the world.”
PhotoBlog: A quail fight in Kabul
The making of the film Buzkashi Boys was a two-year labor of love, shot entirely on location in Kabul with a mixed Western and Afghan crew. French co-founded a non-profit NGO called the Afghan Film Project in 2010 to help train Afghan filmmakers and foster the struggling film industry here.
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<><><>sport ? no!, more like an orgy, or a cultures twisted way of having fun. more like morbid <><><>
I know. It remember this one sport where people were throwing around a stuffed pigskin and try to slam headfirst into anyone who has it so they can't reach the goal.
I heard that they actually get money for injuring each other. And these are kids playing this!
Forget the games. The tryouts are the thing to watch.
I initiallly heard it was played with the HEAD of the Goat like Polo. Anyway, a savage country. Next they will be playing with Old Lady Carcasses!!
OBAMA/BIDEN . . TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS . . YOU PAYING for ME!!!!
What about American football and ice hockey where players are tacitly encouraged to injure the opposing team. What about parents beating up referees during little league games in the presence of their children because they didn't like a call. I ensure you that those same parents encourage their children to play rough (i.e., violently) with no regard for the physcial safety of players on the opposing team. Didn't you hear, rules are a first world hypocritical fabrication made to be broken. Though I certainly don't condone it, it's human nature, unfortunately.
I just love it when people latch onto buzz words because it relieves them of the responsibility for critical thinking. The Ten Commandments were a list of rules. Therefore, by your logic, the Kingdom of Israel was a first world country in 9 BC.
Really? I thought their toughest sport was boarding school buses and shooting 14 year old girls!! Head shots are worth 10 points with Allah!
You guys are right, football, ice hockey, buzkashi - these are all completely evil endeavors. How dare human beings ever exhibit any competition, or aggression, or ever use their bodies in a meaningful way. How "unfortunate" that we're forced to live in such a world...
...maybe one day we can do away with all sports because they're just too - you know - competitive. And competition makes me uncomfortable. I'd much rather go to a petting zoo and then cap off the afternoon with a xanax and a warm glass of breast milk...
Yep, thats the world I'd prefer to live in.
"It may seem counterintuitive that anything so brutal could be the inspiration for a heartwarming film and the foundation for an American-Afghan partnership."
Anything is possible.
Taliban was routed; initial NATO ally Northern Alliance and its leader Gen Dostum punished for human rights' violations; democracy established; reconstruction done; training Afghan soldiers for take over nearly completed and now there are hopes!!
Those who planned Afghan war may not have seen Afghanistan on the map. Pakis, a strategic ally must have shown some other nation in the map!!
History of Afghanistan and Iraq were too much of a workload for their brains!
Fittest examples of: if you don't know what and where you are getting into, you don't know where you are ending up!
Denver Bill: Perhaps back then the "Kingdom of Israel" was considered a first world country (though I don't know what you mean by the "Kingdom of Israel"). But how often since then were the 10 Commandments broken? So what's your point? Where is your "critical thinking" here?
One correction: There was indeed a Kingdom of Israel formed from the breakup of Kingdom of Israel and Judah in about 720 BC. I stand by the rest of my post. How often have first world countries broken the 10 commandments?
For starters, countries don't break rules .... people do. And no sane person above the age of 3 would claim that rules are never broken. In fact, it is the breaking that necessitates the rule. Having said that, my original post was not aimed at the rules, but at your ridiculous claim that "rules are a first world hypocritical fabrication."
This strikes me as kind of sick. Dragging a carcass around to score points? To each their own, I suppose.
We should bring back the games like they had in Ancient Rome. Certainly enough hopelessly incorigible gang members populating the prisons that do this sort of stuff anyway. Might as well provide some entertainment for the masses and keep the prison costs down to boot.
cool... they did a story bout some thing besides the bad from that place...very rare in deed...
???are you kidding??? As if this primitive activity is a positive - this "sport" just supports the idea that this is a backwards society.
horse racing rodeo and bull fight's...talk bout backasswards...go to baseball game get beat to death...or a soccer game where people kill people...we are so much more civilized...GO HOGS...
Denver Bill: And my point was that rules, despite their good intentions, have no impact on the sociopaths among us and are not needed by the inherently ethical and moral among us. Certainly individuals break rules, but as to your comment that countries don't break rules - really? Have countries as a matter of policy not violated, for example, the rules of the Geneva convention? or the moral underpinnings and rules of conduct promulgated by the league of nations or UN?
And BTW Denver Bill: Often the people who make the rules are the ones who end up breaking them. Don't be so quick to denigrate other people's "critical thinking" before you thoroughly evaluate your own. Self-reflection on your part would be in order here.
i am sure that democracy is right around the corner!!
Bush and his great team advisors have already established it!
mission accomplished...years ago...
tennis anyone?
only if we use goat balls...
Oh, this place is on the verge of civilization for sure!
It is nice to see that someone is trying to do something positive in today's world. The media creates reality for the average public because that improves ratings. At one point, the media was actually on our side, now it is all about the ratings and they care not about the lives lost so they can get their story. Sad
Nice to see some that still have some hope!
who is heading up the lobby to make it an Olymbic sport?
Strategic allies Sunni Saudis and Pakis!
By the by, they will wear burkah/niqab while playing this sport in Olympic!
Jonathon
Only if they let the women partake in the sport too.
I love these people, tuff and fearless... The average fat, lazy American could learn something from them.
Notice the grey eyes of the young man in the video? These people are not Arabs, they are Caucasians! So get off your Arab bashing, zionist inspired social beliefs that help you justify killing them.
They're still barbarians tho....they still treat their women like slaves, mutilate and beat them, sell their daughters to the highest bidder.
The worse Islamic religious Nazi barbarians and beasts are Pakis. Afghans are yet far off in backstabbing!
In Afghanistan, Pakis have backstabbed the US and NATO forces big time. Half of NATO forces deaths are due to ungrateful and backstabbing Pakis.
When the NATO forces were entering Kandahar in 2001, Pakis airlifted key al-Qaida, Taliban, ISI and others militants by back door from Kandahar.
This includes Mullah Omar, Osama and many including Paki Haqqani militant network leaders.
Hope people remember about Pakis sheltering Osama.
These Paki Islamic religious Nazis don't bother about their people and they are into reckless killing games in the name of jihad.
Drone attacks are not enough. To reduce NATO forces losses, carpet bomb Paki militant areas just like 1991 Iraqi war.
Or else just get out right now.
14th century....get a clue nation-building dis-United States. The Mid East prefers to live WAY back in the past. Get outta there, let them have their fun with animal body parts...making women wear burkas in 120 degree heat, cutting off heads when someone doesn't toe the line. Just make it known, next terrorist attack....your country will be turned into a glass table top.
These people are animals! Why we are trying to help them is beyond me.
Animals are civilized than those "THINGS" over there! I wonder if their mothers ever told them not to play with their food!
No different than the tarded "sports" we play here in America. How many horses or dogs have been put down because of the average Americans fixation with animal racing? American'ts are no better than the cultures they vilify.
One minor quibble - we don't behead horses and dogs prior to the event and drag their mutilated corpses around. Just a nitpick.
There's no room for cultural relativism here. It's a cruel, callous sport enjoyed by a barbaric stone age culture. That is a statement of fact, not opinion. Do these people know the Earth is round? I doubt it. They're not a few centuries behind the western world... more like millenia.
this reminds me a lot of "Jugger"
essentially the same thing, except no horses and a dog skull is used instead of a goat carcass.
" he just doesnt have the stones."
" the blood of heroes" good movie if you've never seen it.
Watched some highlights on ESPN's Buzhashi Tonight hosted by Mohammed "Chapandaz King" Sahar.
Of course this would be their favorite sport.
oh boy and we want to bring these people to democracy? next it'll upgrade to a human...maybe even a soldier. The Troops should just leave that place, they already shoot us in the back after training them.
These people are going backwards in time. Just leave them alone for a while and they will all become cave men!
Agreed. They are not worth ONE of our servicemen's life. Pull all the troops home and let them fend for themselves.
I'm guessing that the PETA booth there won't be getting a lot of interest.
How different is this game from the Argentine game 'Pato'. OK today the athletes use a ball with handles, but originally a live Duck was used.
The point of the film is that most people ,even in Afghanistan ,are no different in their pursuit of a meaningful happy life. If you do any traveling it will amaze you how different things really are compared to the depiction in the media.
remember all you see on TV and in the media are the extremists and that includes our own here in the US
" If your too far left or too far right, your ALWAYS wrong"
Wow!?! The story is great. Inspiring even. The comments however, remind me of why the concept "ugly american" is thriving. I cringe at how easily some of my fellow contributors look down at a different culture.
That's all these bassackwards countries understand is extreme violence that permeates everything in their culture. Meanwhile, we put our troops in harms way trying to do what? Providing billions of dollars taxpayer monies for equipment and training to people who hate the US and kill our servicemen in return. What are we really trying to do- civilize them? So we can introduce American businesses in and open the first Afghan McD's or Starbucks? Yep, it's all about the money in the end.
Great, these are the people we're fighting and dying for.
That is some pretty barbaric sh*t right there.......but i'm not surprised. Where is PETA on this one?
a lot of sports are a little barbaric...rodeo ...horse racing...bull fighting...i mean it's the nature of the sport...boxing and football...it's the sport...
They just proved that Darwin was wrong. This is Darwinism in reverse!
then you don't really understand Darwinism, progress and regress are human concepts that don't matter in nature. it's survival of the fittest, not necessarily the most educated, most civilized, or most admirable.
do they eat the goat afterwards? for all we know this could be the best method for making goat as tender as possible. where do all the goat heads end up?
Consolation prize.