5/26/2023 0 Comments The kite runner movie![]() ![]() It opens in 1973 in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, during the final months of Afghanistan’s monarchy under Mohammed Zahir Shah. The Kite Runner begins during that period of peace. ![]() In 1921, Afghanistan was finally an independent nation, a monarchy called the Kingdom of Afghanistan. First, some background: For most of the 19th and early 20th century, Afghanistan was at war with Britain, who wanted to annex the country. The Kite Runner spans over two decades and takes place during pivotal points in Afghanistan’s history. The Afghan history behind The Kite Runner It remains Hosseini's best-known book he has since released two other novels, A Thousand Splendid Suns and And the Mountains Echoed. All his work is about the Afghan experience and incorporates Afghan history. It wasn't an instant hit, but a year after publication, The Kite Runner became a popular book club novel and eventually spent 101 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. The Kite Runner is the first novel by Khaled Hosseini, released in 2003. The Kite Runner is also about redemption, forgiveness, and the sometimes fraught relationship not only between friends, but also between fathers and sons - Amir’s need for his father’s approval is another recurring motif in the novel. But when Amir betrays Hassan following a crucial contest, it ends their friendship, and Amir only gets the chance to make things right decades later. Pivotally, Hassan acts as Amir’s kite runner during kite-flying competitions (a kite runner picks up the fallen, defeated kites). But, as the boys are the same age, they grow up together and become close friends. Amir’s family is wealthy while Hassan’s family is poor - Hassan’s family works for Amir’s as servants. The Kite Runner begins in Afghanistan and tells the tale of two boys: Amir and Hassan. Below, read more about the novel, and how it became an Oscar-nominated film and a play that’s been produced worldwide. The Kite Runner is currently running at the Hayes Theater. As the story got adapted from a novel into a book and play, some storytelling elements changed, but this context still informs the compelling journey of Amir, who takes a dangerous trip back to his home country long after becoming a refugee. He sets his story against the backdrop of 20th-century Afghan history, when the country was on the brink of war. ![]() Hosseini, himself an Afghan American writer, pulls from his own experiences moving from country to country. The story, though fully original, pulls from many sources of inspiration. It is about the deep friendship between two friends, Amir and Hassan, which is torn apart and then put back together after many years. It spans two countries, Afghanistan and the United States, and two decades. The film's score by Alberto Iglesias was nominated for Best Original Score at the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.Khaled Hosseini’s moving, expansive novel The Kite Runner has been adapted into a play and is currently running on Broadway. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2007. Made on a budget of $20 million, the film earned $73.2 million worldwide. The controversial scenes also resulted in the film being banned from cinemas and distribution in Afghanistan itself. However, after concern for the safety of the young actors in the film due to fears of violent reprisals to the sexual nature of some scenes in which they appear, its release date was pushed back six weeks to December 14, 2007. Filming wrapped up on December 21, 2006, and the film was expected to be released on November 2, 2007. The child actors are native speakers, but several adult actors had to learn Dari. The majority of the film's dialogue is in Persian Dari, with the remainder spoken in English and a few short scenes in Pashto and Urdu. Though most of the film is set in Afghanistan, these parts were mostly shot in Kashgar and Xinjiang, China due to the dangers of filming in Afghanistan at the time. ![]()
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