Afghanistan, Canada202040 minPersian with English SubtitlesCanadian PremiereDocumentary, Family-friendly, Open Captions
Students at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music gather for the start of the school day. They laugh, practice, and take tests while preparing for a concert celebrating 100 years of Afghanistan's independence. Ranging from five-year-olds to young adults, some are middle-class kids and others are orphans, and they come from Afghanistan's many ethnic groups. Glimpses of the dangerous realities of their world outside school are a reminder that children are often on the front lines of crises. But I Do My Work is also a reminder that children's spirits are at the forefront of change.
As with his first feature Mina Walking (Reel Asian 2015 Official Selection), Yosef Baraki documents contemporary Kabul life through the eyes of young people. Ardently observational and shot with only one camera and one mic (the maximum allowed), Baraki provides a vessel to experience the vital sounds and rhythms of the students' routines.
– Aram Siu Wai Collier
Afghanistan National Institute of Music
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Visions Du Reel, 2020
Yosef Baraki
Yosef Baraki studied film and philosophy at Toronto’s York University and Humber College. Serving as screenwriter, director, and cinematographer, Baraki filmed his first feature film, Mina Walking, in 19 days with non-professional actors and heavy improvisation in some of Kabul’s most chaotic environments. Mina Walking won over 15 international awards.
12 Nov, 2020 10:00 am
to 19 Nov, 2020 11:59 pm
G
Ticket holders can watch Reel Asian Programmer Mariam Zaidi's conversation with director Yosef Baraki on the CineSend Reel Asian portal.
Catch Oliver Husain's Lenticular Lencture this year at the festival, featuring a digital installation of "French Exit" and an artist talk.
Down a Dark Stairwell takes a nuanced and careful look at the events following the 2014 case where Akai Gurley was shot and killed in the stairwell of an apartment building by Chinese-American NYPD officer Peter Liang. This opening night presentation is followed by a panel discussion with ASL support and accompanied by an active listening service. Available only in Ontario for a limited time. Winner of The Truth to Power Award, Reel Asian 2020.
This fireside chat gathers together filmmaker mentors from Reel Asian’s 2020 Unsung Voices incubator to discuss what the building blocks of a good narrative are. This event is part of the Reel Ideas Symposium.
Founded in Toronto in 1997, Reel Asian is Canada’s largest pan-Asian film festival and a year-round cultural organization dedicated to championing Asian and Asian diasporic artists and storytellers. What began as a grassroots film festival has grown into a national platform supporting filmmakers and audiences through screenings, education, industry initiatives, artist development, and community programming presented across Toronto, the GTA, and online across Canada.
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