Mir and his family desperately need your help. Please consider donating below – all proceeds go directly to the family.

From Phil Grabsky, director of ‘My Childhood, My Country’:

Many of you will remember my film MY CHILDHOOD, MY COUNTRY – 20 YEARS IN AFGHANISTAN.  It was made between 2002 and 2021 and we were honoured with many awards, not least the BAFTA for Best Single Documentary.  The film was shown by many broadcasters and perhaps seen by millions.  But, as a filmmaker, one is always left asking what difference a film has made.

At my speech at the BAFTAs, I asked the audience of commissioning editors, film producers, channel controllers, etc, to please not forget Afghanistan, above all the plight of women in Afghanistan.  Sadly, life under the Taliban is as bad as ever and, frankly, what little coverage there has been seems to make little difference to the horrors of day-to-day life for ordinary Afghans.  Mir, the central character in our film, was born into a poor family and twenty years of struggle has made little difference.  We have supported them since the beginning and gave Mir & his wife enough at the end to buy a house and a taxi (which was his new career once the Taliban ended any hope of him continuing as a cameraman).

Recent events, however, have meant the loss of both house and taxi – and both he and his half-brother Khoshdel (who many of you hopefully remember from the film too) are in real difficulties. Khoshdel is in hospital but unable to pay for treatment and Mir is back shovelling coal.  We are helping as best we can but I would like to ask you to consider making a small donation too.  Anything you can give will help and 100% will go to Mir & his family.