The second feature documentary from Toronto-based Afghan-Canadian filmmaker Aisha Jamal (A Kandahar Away, Hot Docs 2019 Official Selection), The Theft delves into the messy relationship between museums and conflict. Set against the backdrop of Afghanistan—a country whose rich cultural history has been repeatedly scarred by war and political upheaval—the film traces the journey of a set of 12th century marble panels, looted throughout the decades from their place of origin in Ghazni, Afghanistan. Many of these artifacts are now housed in major museums around the world. Their story becomes a lens through which the film asks pressing questions: Why do artifacts matter? What is lost when objects are removed from the cultures that gave them meaning? Should these panels now be returned to Afghanistan despite the current Taliban regime’s history of destruction? By weaving together the voices of curators, social actors, experts and artists across continents, The Theft engages in an urgent and contemporary conversation around what the postcolonial museum might look like.
In English and Dari, with English subtitles.
Join director Aisha Jamal for a special post-screening Q&A.
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