A Little Bit Of History: Afghan Cinemas

Perhaps it's because we love movies A LOT over here and live in a city where many of them are made that we found it hard to imagine life without cinematic experiences. For years, along with a long list of other Can and Can't Do's, the Taliban banned movie going in Afghanistan and movie theaters were abandoned, left to sit in silence until recently. Slowly but surely, these old cinemas that house 30-40 year old projectors are getting turned back on now that the Taliban are gone. We recently came across the work of Jonathan Saruk, a Getty photographer, who has shot a series of photos narrating what life is currently like inside these dark theaters. The beautiful grey tones contrasted with bright pops of electric colors splashed across the screen, the concentrated looks of moviegoers along with the flickering of lights from the projection room describe the one best thing films provide... a temporary escape from reality, a walk into another world. Something that probably provides a little bit of relief in a conflict-ridden country.