Last night, Washington DC's
Iranian-Americans were out in force to support one of their own. Afshin
Molavi, esteemed writer ("Persian
Pilgrimages: Journeys across Iran") and think-tanker
extraordinaire (New America Foundation), who, when not jet-setting
around the world to research geo- economic trends in the Middle
East, can be seen on CNN delivering polished and accurate analyses
on a myriad of international topics, was adding yet another talent
to his already impressive resume: documentary feature film producer.
Molavi, along with director and
co-producer Karim Chrobog, held an advanced screening for his latest
endeavor, the award winning documentary "War
Child", a painfully honest and inspirational story
chronicling the life of a Sudanese child soldier, Emmanuel Jal, who,
though taken from his home at the young age of seven, and forced
into war, has emerged as an international hip-hop star with a
message of peace.
Rudi Bakhtiar recently sat down with Molavi to
discuss his foray into the movie industry.
Rudi: How did you go from a fellow at the New
America Foundation, to producer of an award winning documentary?
Afshin: It all
started in Dubai, actually. About three years ago, I was on assignment for
National Geographic magazine to write a story on Dubai and held a meeting with a
talented, young Dubai-based Egyptian-German director, Karim Chrobog, who was
working on a film about Ibn Battuta, the great 14th century Arab
explorer. We began talking about the importance of documentary films and I had
told him about a vague notion I had about writing a book or making a documentary
on hip-hop and globalization. In my travels across the Middle East, Europe, and
Asia, I was struck by how fast and deep hip-hop music had traveled around the
world. We both were interested also in how global hip-hop music had become a
medium to express social marginalization and youthful angst as well as
frustration with governments, unlike hip-hop in America that had devolved from
its origins as a means of socially conscious expression to a world of "bling,
bling" diamonds and champagne that demeans women and extols the virtue of
materialism, or, in some cases, glorifies violence.
And so, the journey began right there in Dubai, and
Karim and I went back to our respective offices (he in Dubai, me in DC) and we
began locating hip-hop artists around the world who could tell us something
important about their local musical culture, but also something vital about the
political and social conditions of the country they live.
Rudi: When did you first hear about Emmanuel Jal
and what made you want to tell his story?
Afshin: I first
heard about Emmanuel Jal through a New York Times article that I had read about
him. Subsequently, I googled him and read just about everything written about
his life and music. His story amazed and touched me. At the age of seven, he was
conscripted as a child soldier in Sudan's People's Liberation Army, carrying an
AK-47 into battle while most of us at that age were playing with water guns. He
managed to escape, along with thousands of other Sudanese child soldiers by
crossing the desert into Ethiopia. This was an incredibly dangerous journey
because they had no food and no supplies, and some of the boys simply died of
hunger or exhaustion (they are known as the "Lost Boys" of Sudan).
I wanted to tell Emmanuel's story because it's a
story of triumph amidst terror and it shows us the power of the human spirit.
Emmanuel has emerged from hell and has become a thoughtful, intelligent,
committed young man who works with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch,
Oxfam, and a whole range of other groups to highlight the plight of child
soldiers and promote education in Africa. We also wanted to help Emmanuel spread
his message of peace and education. As part of the film's profits, we are
supporting Emmanuel's foundation, Gua Africa, which aims to build schools in
Sudan and supports the education costs of at-risk Sudanese youth in Kenya and
Sudan
Rudi: What was Emanuel Jal's first reaction to
you when you proposed the documentary?
Afshin: It's a
funny story, actually. Jal, who grew up fighting against Muslim northerners,
told us he was very wary when he received a phone call from someone named "Karim."
Jal often tells the story with a laugh that "someone named Karim with a partner
named Afshin wants to tell my story." He then says with a smile: "no way." But
then, after he got to know Karim and he understood that our intentions were good
and that we did not only want to tell his story, but also help his foundation,
he grew to trust us, and he accepted our offer, despite the fact that other more
stablished players like the BBC were knocking on his door. Jal, who lives in
London now, often says himself that he grew up fighting Muslims and Arabs, but
he has the ability to distinguish and not tarnish all for the acts of a few.
Frankly, neither Karim (who is Christian) nor I see religion as playing any role
in telling this story (or any good story). After all, this is a human story that
transcends religion, but Jal's initial reaction to us and the friendships we
have forged with him offer an interesting side note.
Rudi: Did the Iranian American community support
your project, even though it had nothing to do with Iran?
Afshin: Yes,
the project garnered tremendous support from the Iranian American
community….Among the early backers were a few successful Iranian-American
doctors, lawyers, and businessmen. They deserve mention here: Dr. Safa Farzin,
Mr. Pejman Sharifi, Mr. Reza Ghassebeh, and Mr. Aria Mehrabi. They supported it
because they, too, believed in the story. Other Iranian-Americans attended a
fundraising and awareness raising event we held in DC. At one point, Emmanuel
Jal was so touched by all of the Iranian-Americans he met (most of it
orchestrated by Roshanak, our superstar executive producer as well great support
by a close friend of the project, Sogand Zamani), that he pledged to "write a
rap about all the cool Iranians in DC" that he met. We're waiting for the song,
but Emmanuel Jal remains deeply touched by the Iranian-Americans he met. This
makes me very proud of our community.
Rudi: What were the biggest challenges in putting
this documentary together?
Afshin: Funding
is, of course, the most difficult challenge of most independent documentaries,
especially the sort that we wanted to make, which included filming in Africa,
London, and the United States in high quality digital format. Obviously, this
was a major challenge, but we managed to overcome it through the support of
foundations like the Macarthur Foundation and the Global Fund For Children, as
well as investors who believed in the project and were willing to take a risk on
it.
Rudi: What
are you hoping to accomplish with this documentary?
Afshin: As with
most documentaries, we want the message to be heard widely. In this case, we
have three broad messages: first, we want to raise awareness about the plight of
child soldiers and the potential for renewed north-south conflict in Sudan far
beyond the horrific genocide taking place in western Sudan, in Darfur; second,
we want Emmanuel Jal's life story to be celebrated and his music to be
appreciated; third, we want to support Gua Africa in its goal of building a
school in Sudan, and supporting at-risk youth. And, of course, it goes without
saying that we want the film to be a commercial success.
Rudi: How has this documentary been received in
Sudan?
Afshin: It has
not yet been seen in Sudan, but many of Emmanuel Jal's most ardent fans are
Sudanese interested in peace, and fellow southern Sudanese in the diaspora. He
also has many admirers among former child soldiers living in Europe or America.
Many of them are contacting us, eager to learn about the release date (which is
not yet decided).
Rudi: Do you think it's easier to get your
message heard through documentaries?
Afshin: I have
two answers to this question because I really don't quite know the answer. J In
terms of sheer numbers, there is nothing more powerful than film in reaching
masses of people. There's also something incredibly powerful about the moving
image on the screen in a darkened theater and the shared experience of it all.
I'm also aware, however, of the enormous challenge of getting documentaries to
the big screen and wide distribution on DVD. Hopefully, with new technologies
and downloading abilities, more documentaries will make it to audiences.
On the other hand, most of my working life as a
journalist has been devoted to the printed word and I remain a devotee of print.
There's something very intimate about the bond between a writer and a reader.
The writer spends more time with his reader than a moviemaker with his audience.
I know many people who have told me such-and-such book changed my life or
dramatically changed my perspective. Movies can do that too, of course, so I
guess I've come full circle and would say that, "yes, it's easier to get your
message out to large numbers of people" through film if you manage to get it on
screen and distributed widely, but it's not the only way to do it, and the
printed word might leave more lasting imprints on people's minds.
Rudi: Do you have any new projects in the works?
Afshin: I'm very
excited about a new venture I'm co-founding alongside Aria Mehrabi, a Los
Angeles- based private equity manager who earned his Ph.D. in International
Relations. It's called the Banu Foundation, and it aims to support the work of
organizations around the world that are empowering women either through literacy
programs, education, microfinance, or myriad other ways.
Afshin
Molavi is a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, a non-partisan
think tank, where he writes on globalization, economic development, Middle East
affairs, the "New Silk Road", Iran, and Persian Gulf economies. He is the
author of Persian Pilgrimages: Journeys Across Iran, which was nominated for the
Thomas Cook literary travel book of the year and described by Foreign Affairs as
"a brilliant tableau of today's Iran."
Molavi has covered the Middle East and Washington
for a wide range of publications based in Riyadh, Dubai, Jeddah, Washington and
Tehran. His articles and essays have appeared in the Financial Times, the New
York Times, Businessweek, the Washington Post, National Geographic, Foreign
Affairs, and numerous academic publications. He has appeared on CNN, the BBC,
NPR and other broadcast outlets to deliver analysis on a variety of Middle
east-related issues. He was recently selected by the World Economic Forum in
Davos as a young global leader.
Molavi is also on
the Board of Directors of the
PARSA Community Foundation,
an inspiring group of Iranian-Americans who are engaged in strategic
philanthropy targeting Iranian-American issues.
About The Film
War
Child, an award-winning documentary directed by C. Karim Chrobog, chronicles the
tumultuous, shocking, inspiring, and ultimately hopeful odyssey of Emmanuel Jal.
A former child soldier of Sudan's brutal civil war, he is now an emerging
international hip hop star sharing a message of peace for his war-torn land and
beloved Africa.
Watch the trailer
In
the early 1980s at the age of seven, Jal was swept into Sudan's
civil war, becoming one of 10,000 child soldiers conscripted on
both sides of the two decade long conflict. After being forced
to do many unimaginably horrible things, he escaped the
soldier's camp and trekked for four months through Africa. He
was eventually found and adopted by the now legendary British
aid worker Emma McCune who had married Sudanese guerrilla
commander Riek Machar and convinced him to not employ child
soldiers. Shortly after she adopted Jal, McCune died in a
suspicious car crash, leaving Emmanuel "orphaned"¯ once again.
Jal rose from ruthless child soldier to refugee to rap star. He
found his own redemption and life mission through a message of
peace that represents one of the 21st centuries' most inspiring
and hopeful journeys, and a metaphor for the broader African
predicament.
Emmanuel's journey is, in many ways,
just beginning. His dream of Gua (peace) in Sudan and prosperity
in Africa is threatened by corrupt leaders, genocidal warlords,
and Western indifference. Hopefully, Emmanuel's peace quest to
make the world a better place through his music, activism and
youth education will prove to be far more significant than
Emmanuel's former war.
War Child tells the story of Jal's
life through his words and music, and remarkable film footage
dating back to his childhood. Even at the age of seven,
Emmanuel's charisma were so evident that National Geographic
focused their own 1980's reportage on him as spokesperson for
the children. Today, as Emmanuel travels the World, even into
the halls of the US State Department, he takes us through his
homeland's tormented history of civil war, assesses the
prospects for peace after the country's 2005 ceasefire
agreement, highlights the increasing problem of war children,
and shines light on the growing African hip hop scene that is
tackling the continent's ills through its music.
C. Karim
Chrobog - Director & Producer
Afshin Molavi - Producer
Dal LaMagna - Executive Producer
Jeff Weingarten - Executive Producer
Roshanak Ameli-Tehrani - Executive Producer
Richard Boden - Executive Producer
Ulf Gartzke - Associate Producer
S.J. Staniski - Director of Photography
Nels Bangerter - Editor
Matt Dornic - Public Relations
Afshin
Molavi is a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, a non-partisan
think tank, where he writes on globalization, economic development, Middle East
affairs, the "New Silk Road", Iran, and Persian Gulf economies. He is the
author of Persian Pilgrimages: Journeys Across Iran, which was nominated for the
Thomas Cook literary travel book of the year and described by Foreign Affairs as
"a brilliant tableau of today's Iran."