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Subscribe to RSSFawad Mohammadi, the 14-year-old star of a short Afghan film, has been propelled into the Oscar spotlight. The script parallels his own life. NBC's Thanh Truong reports.
KABUL, Afghanistan -- It is a long way from the grimy, poverty-stricken streets of Afghanistan to the red carpets of Hollywood -- but 14-year-old Fawad Mohammadi is on his way.
The teenager, who sells chewing gum and maps from the curbside in Kabul, was an actor in "Buzkashi Boys," a film nominated Thursday for an Oscar.
In a city normally associated with misery, there were tears of joy as Mohammadi learned of the nomination at a small Internet cafe.
"I'm so happy!" he exclaimed.
American director Sam Fench called Mohammadi to share congratulations -- and promised to take him to Los Angeles, where the low-budget film is shortlisted in the best live action short film category.
A 14-year-old Afghan street seller was overcome with emotion when he learned the film Buzkashi Boys, in which he acted, was nominated for an Oscar. Emma Murphy of ITV News reports.
"I want to see a lot of things there -- Hollywood, and I want to see some actors."
The glamour of Hollywood is a world away from Mohammadi's daily existence in Kabul, where he sells gum and tourist maps for $3 to $5 on the capital's dangerous roads in order to support his single mother who is raising six sons and one daughter in abject poverty.
"Buzkashi Boys" tells the story of two boys in Kabul who dream of playing buzkashi, a sport where players on horseback compete to get hold of a headless goat.
It resonates in Afganistan, where many children live in poverty and surrounded by danger but remain hopeful for their future and that of their nation.
Mohammadi, discovered on the streets of Kabul, acted for the first and only time in his life. For his efforts, he was paid $1,500 -- a small fortune by Afghan standards.
2013 boasts the youngest – and the oldest – Oscar nominees ever: 9-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis for "Beasts of the Southern Wild" and 85-year-old Emmanuelle Riva's nomination for "Amour." NBC's Kristen Dahlgren reports.
He used the first $100 to buy food and gave the rest to his mother.
He has become a celebrity in Kabul, and a source of joy in a place where sadness is the norm.
"Some people they know me and when they see me they are so happy," he said. "They want their picture taken with me."
There was a celebratory meal with friends at the local KFC on Friday, but within hours of learning of the Academy Award nomination, Mohammadi is back on the city's Chicken Street earning money.
He dreams of being an airline pilot and attends school, but has to keep working to help support his family.
"This movie shows that Afghans have strength and they work a lot," he said. "It's the real culture of Afghanistan...and also the dreams of Afghans."
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The taliban will want to do him harm. Just a nomination and yet not a win but t'will be deemed too western in Afghanistan.
Don't worry. After NATO forces withdrawal, you won't hear/listen much on Afghanistan just like Iraq!
Everything has become normal!
Moonens, my thoughts exactly. This kid and his family are now a target - if he's smart he'll leverage some more money out of this fame and get the rest of his family out of Afghanistan.
CONGRATULATIONS Fawad Mohammadi!!! I hope you are as proud of yourself as much as everyone else is, you deserve this award. May happiness forever rain upon you.
Can't watch the beginning of that video without tearing up a little ... nice to see him so happy. I agree with the first poster, the minute he started talking about going to Hollywood and meeting some actors, I couldn't help but envisioning the Taliban deeming this behavior "too Westernized." We are, after all, talking about a group of people that kill little girls because they want to be educated. I hope nothing happens to this guy ... I'd suggest he leave that wasteland. But perhaps, it's youth like him (and only them) that can turn that nation around.
I hope the film wins but as has been pointed out it will make him and his family a target by madmen Taliban extremists. Hopefully from now on he will be in protected custody and the monies paid to him by the films producers will be enough to keep him off the street. Life is like this in many places of the world and worse. We can't imagine what this is like. These small rays of sunshine make us all happy that there is hope.
What a joke!! Oscars are racist, sexist and petty awards for stupid liberals.
Wants to be an airline pilot, huh?
"Hold fast to dreams;
For if dreams die;
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly."
--Elizabeth Browning
Amanda: Let me add:
"Above all,
Dreams should not be hallucinations."
Jonathon...while the odds may be against the lad, people in worse situations have achieved higher goals.
Don't give up your day job to become a motivational speaker.
Thanks Cannoli! I would have said the same thing but it might not have been as...polite.
cannoli and Amanda: Is the life worth all the troubles Mohammadi and his family may face after Taliban take over?
Will you people do them under similar circumstances?
Have not many run instead of facing them?
Many Pakis in the US, Britain, Western nations and other non-Muslim nations are classical examples of inventing Islamic religious madness and running from them.
Criminal Gen Mush, one of the fountainheads of problems in Pakistan and Afghanistan, is in Britain and his son is in the US.
Also many Paki top rulers have Pakistani and British dual citizenships.
It is easy to lecture others. But tough to follow most of the times.
I am a poor communicator and so I can't be a good motivational speaker!!!!
Amanda, as a correction, the poem you cited is by Langston Hughes, not Elizabeth Browning.
that was an accidental high five Jonathan-1982062
please subtract 1....i was trying to select "no value" or even "inflammatory"
are you trying to bait someone into what you are suggesting? because that is all you are doing...
And what is wrong with that?
Rose:
Thank you for the correction!I remembered hearing it once and it seemed appropriate....
Jenny, we heard enough from you yesterday. Go home, troll.
An airline pilot!! Sounds like a re-make of 9-11. He probably wants to study bomb-making too...
you too tiredobs. go home.
roadlesstravelled: Please be my guest on whatever you wanted to do!
Sometimes people like I walk in forests and not the normal roads. So it takes time to understand!
tiredobs .... people like you are the reason why achieving peace around the world is so difficult. Go back to Fox News.
Tiredobs, I would think that if you are still relating current events to the September 11 attacks that you would at least be familiar with the facts surrounding them. 15 of the hi-jackers were Saudi Arabian, and the other 4 were from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, none of them were Afghani. So either you are a complete racist judging this child by the color of his skin and his name or you are completely uneducated on the worst attack terrorist attack on American soil. Yet somehow you feel you know enough about it to use it as a reference when passing judgment on children you have never met.
Jennifer Wernerr...You are no better than Tiredobs...Can't you share in the the happiness of a young man whose life has been nothing but enshrouded in poverty? Why shouldn't he dream of being an airline pilot? He didn't say he wanted to fly a fighter jet. Give the kid a break and hope that for him, dreams come true. It is the feeling of helplessness and despair that often leads to the recruiting of these young boys by terrorists. Allow him the chance to see that there is a whole world out there to be explored.
"In a city normally associated with misery, there were tears of joy as Mohammadi learned of the nomination at a small Internet cafe."
The problems of Afghan and Paki regions are the high dosage of Islamic addiction. They are busy killing each other in the name of religion, sect and tribes.
It is possible that warriors of Mohammed like Taliban may just eliminate this Mohammadi for Hollywood and Amerikan connections!
I pray his dreams come true. How wonderful for him.
At least some people dare to dream and to stick to their dreams. Also this kid sounds like he is smart with preparing for a second career. By the way, were I you, kid, I would take the advice of the people for you to move yourself and your family out of Afghanistan and to not be influenced by Islam, particularly forms of Islam that are perpetuated by terrorist groups.
three things:
1) 9/11 was perpetrated by Saudis, not Afghanis
and
2) Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar
3) Good for him
I agree Culheath. Not to be anoying or anything but Afghani's are the currency in Afghanistan. The people are called Afghans.
I hope this precious child lives through his 15 minutes of fame.
Vandopsis
Of course. Thank you. Appreciate it.
Culheath and vandopsis: I am from Afghanistan...first generation American. We say that we are Afghan, Afghans or Afghani...all apply depending on the context, so you are both correct! When speaking of the currency 'Afghani' the pronounciation is different, even though the spelling is the same....which is how we can tell if they are speaking of money or people.
For my part, I am very happy for this young boy and pray that some good truly comes out of this for him and his family.
It is very easy for people to pass judgement or give their opinions on what they would do (get out of the country, assume wanting to be a pilot is a bad thing ie terrorist training) - but we were blessed to grow up in a country that hasn't been ravaged by war for over 30 years. The typical life expectancy is about 44 years old...with about 34 years of war in the country. These poor people, the children have grown up knowing nothing else. Their elders, parents, siblings, etc. have known no other life.
I hate what has happened to my parents homeland, because it wasn't like that when they were growing up (do some searching in Afghanistan before the Soviet invasion and you might be surprised and what you find). However this is the reality that they grew up with...and if this boy...if any child has a dream to do anything with their life - then God bless them for dreaming. Hoping for a better life is one thing the Taliban or any other can never take away.
Thank you...that's interesting. Can you explain the context aspect?
Perhaps 'context' wasn't the best word. It was almost 3:30am when I wrote what I did...lol. Basically it is our choice depending on the sentence. :)
with one small step in the right direction you can change the world.
perfect! u rock
But will that step bring the change you desire?
arguesforsport:
No one knows the answer to your question. Is that a reason to sit idly by and not make the effort?
The path to change is a road that is long and winding filled with obstacles and piles of horse@!$%#. If you don't step in horse@!$%# once in a while you'll never learn to avoid it. The obstacles in you path may seem never ending in the present but will change to proud achievements in the past.
What a great story, I hope the film wins!
WTFC
Wire...It is about the hope of a young boy that life can be better. When that hope dies, that is when the despair and hopelessness leads to poor choices. You sound like a real sorry person...Guess you would have been happy if he sold explosives;
jersyeshoremarie,these posters would rather sit in the comfort of their home criticizing the world instead of cheering on this young man.They are all obviously unhappy people and this nice young kid would probably not trade his life for theirs.He's an inspiration.
Good for him. I hope he is able to achieve his dreams.
A blonde and a redhead went to the bar after work for a drink, and sat on stools watching the 6 O'clock news. A man was shown threatening to jump from the Brooklyn Bridge, and the blonde bet the redhead $50 that he wouldn't jump.
Sure enough, he jumped, so the blonde gave the redhead $50. The redhead said,
"I can't take this, you're my friend."
But the blonde insisted saying,
"No. A bet's a bet."
Then the redhead said
"Listen, I have to tell you that I saw this on the 5 O'clock news, so I can't take your money."
The blonde replied
"Well, so did I, but I didn't think he would jump again!"
Ray-2194047, You don't get out much, do you?
What about the Kite Runner --that was supposedly an Afghani-made film --and one all should see, I might add. How can this film claim to be the first?
what do you mean first? can you quote that?
Barb,I read that book and enjoyed it so much that I read it a second time.This movie talked about is a short story film.
Maybe this is the beginning of a better understanding of the American people. I hope the director does bring him to the US so he can see that the American people are not, for the most part, bloodthirsty Islamaphobes.That we are just normal people that want a regular life. He can go back home with his experiences as a testament that we are helpfull, friendly and mostly honest, hard working individuals. Just don't let him talk to any CEO's, lawyers or politicians.
i dont know.... its not always about america...maybe he can come here and give us a better understanding of them...not everyone wants to be us
roadlesstraveled,The best post by far.
road - I did not mean that this kid wanted to be American. I am thinking of all the extremists over there telling the citizens how horrible America is and how we all need to be exterminated. If this kid has a great time over here and meets people he likes, he can go back home and say "No, the Americans are not the Devil." People speaking from experience are more likely to be listened to.
Of course, the Taliban probably will put a price on his head for being corrupted by the evil Americans.
Moonens,
Why are Americans so bent on dreaming of the worst possible scenario for every good event? Is it at all possible to be happy for this kid first before engaging in barking up imaginary trees?
I worked for a bit in Afghanistan and made many great local friends. Posting from experience, it is inevitable that the 'worst' is already brewing. He better swing outta there as fast as he can otherwise, he just cannot secure neither himself nor his family.
Some days just start off right. This is one of them. The first article I read makes me happy to be a human being, knowing that this boy and others like him can receive a ray of joy in a most unexpected way.
He sells tourist maps? Somehow, I doubt the tourist map business in Kabul is a growth industry...
Book sales are bustling trade. In fact there are quite a number of bookshops in Kabul and you get quite some vintage books - eastern writers and their translations into English . Great areas to meet other expatriates especially on Fridays.
HIS TOURIST MAPS probably points out bomb craters. That used to be a school, that used to be a police station, that used to be an U.N. relief office, etc.
tiredobs, it's not very kind of you to make light of the fact that much of his country is destroyed. I'm not sure why you thought it would be funny to make a joke.
tiredbobs already made some unkind remarks earlier on...Some people just revel in the misery of others and would happy to deny them even a fleeting moment of happiness.
There are many children there who have dreams they want to fulfill to make Afghanistan a better place for their people. I hope they get to live their dreams. Congratulations to you, kid, you are bringing hope back to your country.
A nomination does not necessitate a win. Unfortunately, the Taliban will also be watching closely to see if they need to eliminate him and his family for becoming 'too westernized'. He will be lucky to get out of the country alive, now.
Lovely story--let's hope this is a way out of poverty for his family--and leads to safety and an education for him.
$3 for some gum...what a rip-off.
Do you know anything about economics and market forces?
I hope one of the airlines will send someone out and help this young man become a pilot or at least get him a job with one of the major airlines.
I agree. That would be a wonderful gesture.
This is very nice but we are all naive if we don't realize the nomination is strictly political. I'm happy for him but can we keep politics out of movies?
So you've seen the film then? Obviously if you know the nomination is strictly political, you are in a position to judge its merits, right?
There is no reason to see it, it would only perpetuate my claim. There have been many, many politically rewarded Oscars. Were you born yesterday?
rigged for the purposes of media & pr in order to garner support politically for an unpopular conflict
once it has served it's purpose they'll pull out and it's back to business as usual
So since America has turned to making money on whoring their children, violence, crime, murder and now hit gangs that execute people without a trial. When do we get to see the movie of 26 people-children getting slaughtered by a gunman. When do we get to see the movie of the theater killings and other ignorant idiocy where we justify and give glory to murderers, over the top violence and child exploitation..Go O-Abomination in America. Then they blame guns,, they should be blaming all you idiots who thrive on sicknesses and greed no matter who you exploit in doing it.
Why is it that we cannot have a discussion on social issues in America without people bringing politics into it? People still do not realize that these political labels just divide us. This country will never face and tackle its issues while people hide behind labels.
Let's make sure this young man is made welcome when he arrives in the United States. After the life he and his family have endured, we should take the time to say thank you for helping to make the movie, and give them a taste of real hospitality so they will realize that Americans are not all just about bombs.
The welfare check is in the mail.
Good to know that your welfare check is in the mail tiredobs, not sure what that has to do with Kevin's post about hospitality though.
Kevin Newton,I would be so honored to be able to give him the grand tour of California,especially Southern California.I would show him that we can visit the desert,beach and mountains in one day.We'd stop at In-N-Out burger for lunch in Baldwin Park,the very first one.Lawry's prime rib for dinner,Disneyland,Huntington Beach and Knotts Berry farm.I'd need a month to show him all of the neat places in California.He would probalby love the planetarium at Griffith Park.I hope that he has a wonderful time here.
This national "sport" is horribly cruel. Why do so many things from that part of the world have to be so disturbing. Disrespect for life is entrenched and brings honor and acceptance.
From Wiki: The calf in a Buzkashi game is normally beheaded and disemboweled and has its limbs cut off at the knees. It is then soaked in cold water for 24 hours before play to toughen it. Occasionally sand is packed into the carcass to give it extra weight. Players may not strap the calf to their bodies or saddles. Though a goat is used when no calf is available, a calf is less likely to disintegrate during the game.
StrangeBlood, have you ever been to a slaughterhouse in the US? We use rams that go straight into the brain of a cow, shoot a pig in the ear with a 22cal rifle, use the ram for horses and goats.
My suggestion is that if you don't like the way a sport is played, and the preperation for it, don't watch the sport. And don't let Wiki be the only source of information. There are numerous encyclopedias in the library where you live, or at least close to you.
If you do't like it, become a Vegan.
Enquiring minds want to know-----Is the KFC located on Chicken Street?