‘What if this were me?': Pakistani-Dutch filmmaker amplifies Afghan voices challenging refugee stereotypes

Arab News

19-05-2025

ISLAMABAD: Anya Raza was in Washington and watched with the whole world in disbelief as the Afghan capital of Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, marking an end to two decades of United States-led intervention.
For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle
The chaos that unfolded moved the Pakistani-Dutch writer and filmmaker to reach out to the Afghans, who desperately sought to relocate to safety, as well as humanitarian and other workers involved in the process.
Their tales of love, loss, devastation and despair compelled Raza to document these heart-wrenching stories to humanize the Afghan refugee crisis for the world, which largely seemed to be indifferent to the chaos.
Her film, 'On the Mountain,' based on true stories Raza encountered during the interviews, challenges stereotypes and offers a deeply human perspective on the plight of Afghan refugees, according to the filmmaker.
'I interviewed a lot of refugees, people working with refugees, humanitarian workers, case workers, resettlement officers, and others involved. Time and again, I was struck by the sheer devastation, loss, and the immense decisions people had to make just to keep uprooting their families, to keep them safe,' Raza told Arab News, on the sidelines of the Women International Film Festival in Islamabad last week.
'After 20 years of war, the voices of Afghan people weren't reaching the international stage, despite all the sacrifices they made, despite the destruction. It felt like a way for me to lend my voice as an artist, to break some of the silos.'
The 13-minute film captures the dilemma of an Afghan woman teacher who is caught between love, family and the unforgiving realities of the conflict, forced to make heartbreaking choices.
Set against the backdrop of a turbulent Kabul in 2021, Raza says the film is both a 'social and political statement' that challenges stereotypes and biases relating to refugees and offers audiences a chance to reflect on the human characters behind headlines.
'There are a lot of prejudices, biases, and stereotypes when it comes to refugees — their role in communities, how they are perceived,' she said.
'This film is an invitation into an Afghan home, into the love and tough decisions that a family must make. It lets viewers ask, 'What if this were me?''
But for Raza, whose work has sparked discussions around identity, nationality and human rights, bringing the film to life was not without challenges.
'For artists, it's always difficult to secure funding for projects. You might find money, but it's harder to find people who align with your values,' she said.
The film continues to connect with audiences around the world and evokes powerful emotions and reflections from the attendees at the Islamabad festival.
But despite the effort, the reality has drastically changed for many Afghan refugees since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan and thousands of them fled to Pakistan to seek refuge there, according to the filmmaker.
Today, those same refugees face forced repatriation and are being driven back to the uncertainty they once escaped.
'It breaks my heart to see Afghans who have lived here their whole lives, who felt that Pakistan was their home, [are] now being forced to leave without any of their belongings,' Raza said.
Pakistan has repatriated approximately 1.3 million Afghan refugees in a deportation drive launched since Nov. 2023, according to officials. The drive was launched after Islamabad witnessed a surge in suicide attacks and militancy that it blamed on Afghan nationals, without providing evidence.
The government in Islamabad initially said it was focusing on expelling foreigners with no legal documentation and other categories, such as Afghan Citizen Card (ACC)-- a document launched in 2017 to grant temporary legal status to Afghan refugees— would be included later. This year, Pakistan's interior ministry asked all ACC holders to leave the country by March and started deporting them from April 1.
In total, Pakistan has hosted over 2.8 million Afghan refugees who crossed the border during 40 years of conflict in their homeland.
Raza urged Islamabad to reconsider its decision to expel Afghan refugees: 'It's very important that they have their basic human rights, their dignity, that they're safe.'