On Sunday, November 18th, at the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture, the Bozeman Doc Series presents the Montana premiere of the award-winning new documentary, Angels Are Made of Light, beginning at 7pm.
Beautifully filmed and directed by two-time Oscar nominee James Longley and conceived as a cinematic ode to Afghan civilians, Angels Are Made of Light traces the lives of young students and their teachers at a school in the old city of Kabul.
Moving seamlessly through the points of view of multiple characters – three brothers, their friends, parents, male and female teachers, an elderly cleaning woman at the school – the film allows their thoughts and ideas to play out on the grand stage of Kabul. Their memories of the Afghan kingdom, the communist revolution and the civil war are brought vividly to life through rare 35mm archival material unearthed in Afghanistan.
Interweaving the modern history of Afghanistan with a present-day portrait of a working-class neighborhood, the film offers an intimate and nuanced vision of a society living in the shadow of war.
Angels Are Made of Light world-premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival to widespread critical acclaim, and is currently screening at major festivals around the world.
“Life strives to grow, and flourish, amid catastrophic ruins in Angels Are Made of Light, James Longley’s stirring and gorgeous documentary about young students and teachers trying to maintain hope in Kabul.” – Variety
“A vivid portrait of daily life in Kabul and a rich look into childhood from the perspective of children who have every reason to expect the worst.” – Screen Daily
“A powerful, thrillingly told rumination of life in wartime, a story of men and women trying to continue living their lives despite a cloud of war forever hanging over their collective heads.” – Criterioncast
Doors open at 6:30pm. Single admission to Angels Are Made of Light is $10, or $8 for students. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at Cactus Records and Movie Lovers, as well as www.bozemandocseries.org where you can buy Season Passes and 7-film punch cards, learn more about the series, and view trailers for upcoming films. The series will continue with one screening every other week through April. •