The Swallows of Kabul

2019 1h 21m FR

🙌

7.7

BANGER

★7.7TMDB · 229

AnimationDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Summer 1998—Kabul under Taliban rule. Zunaira and Mohsen are young and in love. Despite the daily violence and misery, they hope for a better future. One day, a foolish gesture causes life to take an irrevocable turn.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Simon Abkarian
Atiq (voice)
Zita Hanrot
Zunaira (voice)
Swann Arlaud
Mohsen (voice)
Hiam Abbass
Mussarat (voice)
Jean-Claude Deret
Nazish (voice)
Sébastien Pouderoux
Qassim (voice)
Serge Bagdassarian
Mollah (voice)
Michel Jonasz
Professeur Arash Bayazid (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Zabou Breitman
Writers: Sébastien Tavel, Zabou Breitman, Patricia Mortagne
Languages: French
Countries: France, Luxembourg, Switzerland

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

81 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 7 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: France, Luxembourg, Switzerland.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Alexis Rault. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Françoise Bernard shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Simon Abkarian and Zita Hanrot and Swann Arlaud carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt7534102 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Zabou Breitman directs. Alexis Rault scores. Françoise Bernard cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France, Luxembourg, Switzerland. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

181 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 7 years ago.
3International production across 3 countries: France, Luxembourg, Switzerland.
4Original score by Alexis Rault. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Françoise Bernard shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Simon Abkarian and Zita Hanrot and Swann Arlaud carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt7534102 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Original score: Alexis Rault
Editing: Françoise Bernard
Sound: Eric Tisserand
Runtime: 81 min · 1h 21m
Status: Released
Original language: FR
IMDB: The Swallows of Kabul (2019)

Also by

Zabou Breitman

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

SWITCH.2020-02-20
★ 9/10
In Afghanistan, simply drawing a human being is forbidden. This makes 'The Swallows of Kabul' an even more aesthetically and narratively beautiful example of the affecting power of humanist and feminist ideas that animation offers. - Jake Watt Read Jake's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-the-swallows-of-kabul-unflinching-and-gorgeously-animated

Production companies