Earth and AshesWhen the Soviet army arrives in Afghanistan, the elderly Dastaguir witnesses the destruction of his village and the death of his clan. His young grandson Yassin, deaf from the sounds of the bombing, is one of the few survivors. The two set out through an unforgiving landscape, searching for the coal mine where Murad, the old man's son and the boy's father, works. They reach their destination only to learn that they must wait and rely for help on all that remains to them: a box of chewing tobacco, some unripe apples, and the kindness of strangers. Haunting in its spareness, "Earth and Ashes" is a tale of devastating loss, but also of human perseverance in the face of madness and war. |
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Afghanistan alive apple-blossom scarf Baba Kharkash become bomb Book of Kings box of naswar bread bridge brother bundle burn chest child close your eyes cloud of dust comes condolences copper cup Dastaguir dead deaf door dry riverbed Earth and Ashes fall silent Fateh father Fatiha feet fire foreman front gone grab Grandfather grandson ground guard guard's hut half-smoked cigarette hand heart heavy hill inside jujube stone Kabul killed kiss laughs look Mirza Qadir mouth Murad Murad isn't Murad's mother naked pass peat Persian pockets Pul-i-Khumri reverberates Rostam Salaam scrub Shahmard shopkeeper shoulders shout sits smell of coal Sohrab son's sorrow sound speak stay take a deep take an apple talk tears teeth tell There's tired tongue tree trembling truck turban turn village voice waiting walk weep wife window wooden hut words Yassin Yassin's head Zaynab Zohak's