VIEWER ADVISORY FEATURES STUNTS AND ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DANGEROUS AND
SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND SUPERVISION
[ Voice ]Be careful, be careful…
[ Voice ]Guys, guys! One, two, three!
[ Voice ]Quiet now!
[ Voice ]Everybody listen
[ Voice ]If you make noise, I'll send you back to class, OK?
[ Voice ]Yeah!
[ Actor ]I will destroy you! I'll make you hate your life!
[ Voice ] You, up and get ready, you're on. I'll give you my shoulder.
[ Mushtaba ]Some people don't appreciate the circus, but when we perform for them they feel joy and become happy
[ Rabia ]I'm trying to do everything right, I want to do it all better than her
[ Actor ]Yes, we're very friendly and kind to each other.
[ Actor ]I really want to perform for people so they can learn something too
[ Mushtaba ]Afghanistan is a country that's survived war,
but now the circus is spreading everywhere.
[ Mushtaba ]Thank God, people are beginning to understand this art.
CIRQUE DE KABUL
[ Berit ]Welcome to the circus!
[ Berit ]So, we’re now going into what we call the Kulisan center. Kul means
flower, san means stone. Kulisan means flower that can grow even on stones.
[ Berit ]The Circus country which is located in Afghanistan,
but I think is very different from the rest of Afghanistan.
[ VO ]Berit from Denmark is one of the founders of the Kabul
circus, which is barely bigger than the average Afghan backyard.
[ BERIT MUHLHAUSEN CO-DIRECTOR, MMCC ]In Afghanistan everything is designed, made, organized
for adults. So adults decide, adults think. Adult know what is right thing. Here is opposite.
[ Berit ]Now we’re practicing for one of the big shows. We do a lot of shows in schools
and different places, but the big shows take of course longer time to practice for.
[ Voice ]You'll fall, boy, don't wriggle!
[ Boy ]I can do it! I swear, I can!
[ Voice ]Hey! Do you hear me, boy? Get down
[ Berit ]We made this center 2 years ago. After we had to move from the place
near the Parliament. And it was a rocket that came directly to our COMPOUND.
[ VO ]Circus artist, Mushtaba is also one of the coach, his goal is to popularise circus
arts in Afghanistan so he and his friend often go out onto the streets to practice.
[ Voice ]Where are you going?
[ Mushtaba ]I'm going into town. Near the university.
[ Mushtaba ]When I first came here, I was curious
[ Mushtaba ]I liked everything I'd seen on TV circus shows.
[ Mushtaba ]What's sarak in English?
[ Voice ]It's 'road'.
[ Mushtaba ]A road in Kabul!
[ Mushtaba ]Oh, my love,
you're a rose!
[ Mushtaba ]I'm singing a song?
[ Karima ]There's one world outside and another here, within the circus walls.
[ KARIMA AMIRI CIRCUS PERFORMER ]It's a bad place out there, a different world.
[ Karima ]Outside, there's desolation. Here, we have our own beautiful world
[ Rabia ]You're watching what I'm busy with from morning to night.
[ Rabia ]When I have the time, I use all my skills to
teach others the same way I was once taught,
so they can master all this as quickly as possible
[ VO ]High-school student, Rabia teaches the children all she knows about the circus, and knows more
than most. She doesn’t intend to become a circus professional herself. She wants to be a doctor.
[ Rabia ]First, you need to climb up on something
high… because the stilts are tall Then secure
one leg, tighten it here Wait a moment!
[ Rabia ]Then put some foam here to protect the foot.
[ Rabia ]Yes, yes!
[ Rabia ]That looks good. Then secure the lower part.
[ Hamid ]How many balls, 5 or 6?
[ Rabia ]Give me that one.
[ Voice ]Why don't you ever fall? [ Rabia ]I've been training so long I don't get nervous
[ Berit ]What’s important is this place is it’s height. It
has again a symbolic meaning. One is that we need
some height to juggle balls or to jump and for me it’s
also important is you need the whole sky, you need the
whole world to develop yourself. So if you’re in a
small room, small things can happen, if you’re in big
space, big things can happe. And what we do here is
making big things happen. So that’s the goal of this place.
[ Hamid ]This is for walking on cable to have
balance, whithout taking this you can walk with this one.
[ VO ]A big show is approaching and Rabia’s practicing her new act – walking the tightrope.
[ Hamid ]Lean on the wall, find your balance. Walk slowly, you have a long pole. You can let
go of this one. If the pole swings over here, I'll grab it. I'm letting go of the pole.
[ Hamid ]Go on Good, I'm ready.
[ Hamid ]Keep going!
[ Hamid ]If you whack my head, I'll get you!
[ Hamid ]We must interest adults and kids in the circus, so they'll want to come and learn to perform
[ HAMID KHALILULLAH MANAGER AND COACH ]Working with kids is our goal. To do this, we need to speak
their language. I don't feel like their superior. I want to be their teacher, helper, and friend.
[ VO ]There are several refugee camps around Kabul and three times a week, Mushtaba and
Rabia visit the local children with other coaches to teach circus arts. They like to
say that they’re looking for flowers growing between the stones, and when they find
one, they invite the most talented to join them. With parental permission, of course.
[ Mushtaba ]Hi, are you well? - Here's my son. Make sure he's treated well
[ Mushtaba ] His name's Shahob? - Shahob is my son, don't treat him badly
[ Mushtaba ] No, why should we? God forbid - Sorry I can't offer you tea
[ Mushtaba ]No, kids, form a circle, please behave!
[ Rabia ]Should I call everyone? Come over here.
[ Rabia ]Come here. We'll form a ring together.
[ Rabia ]Now, take each other by the hand Take each other's hands.
[ Voice ]We need to give him another hour of coaching
[ Voice ]Up! Down!
[ Voice ]Up! Down! Now we bounce up and down faster!
[ Voice ]Down!
[ HAIBAR SAFI REFUGEE CAMP RESIDENT ]We love the circus, it's our passion
[ Haibar ]It's a hobby that gives us something to do.
[ Haibar ]I used to take lessons, but now I'm an organiser, a bit like a coach.
[ Voice ]So, you enjoy magic tricks and the like? [ Haibar ] Yes
[ Voice ] Your name? [ Haibar ] Haibar
[ Mushtaba ]OK, Haibar, come see us on Saturday, we can train you Kids from
other camps can come too - We'll practice there, OK? [ Haibar ] OK
[ Rabia ]Like this…
[ Rabia ]One, two…
Good Throw with one
hand and catch with the other Higher, higher
[ Rabia ]We've been visiting the Vatvol camp to teach kids something new.
[ Rabia ]Thanks to our programme, we were able to teach them something we're good at.
[ Mushtaba ]Very good.
[ Mushtaba ]You'll come on Saturday?
[ Mushtaba ] Who's coming? - All of us
[ Mushtaba ] All of you girls? [ Girl ] I'm Fanus, I want to come [ Mushtaba ] You too?
[ Mushtaba ] OK, please do They're coming, and the girls too
[ Mushtaba ]See you soon!
[ Idris ]This piece of cloth protects my forehead .The ladder's quite heavy, it has 10 rungs.
[ VO ]This self-taught performer practices in his backyard on the outskirts of Kabul, with the sound of explosions
in the background. He searches the internet for ideas and his only audience are his father and two brothers.
[ MOHAMMAD IDRIS FEROZ SELF-TAUGHT CIRCUS ARTIST ]I learnt some
things from videos. Others I invented myself, then I combined them.
[ Idris ]We can hear the sound of military activity. Planes
zoom across the sky to defend the provinces.
[ Idris ]Sadly, the Taliban and ISIS have footholds
out there and conduct their dirty business.
[ VO ] Idris dreams of joining a real circus and after hearing about the ‘Flowers and stones’, he wanted to show them his act.
[ Idris ]When my act ends, the audience asks what my very last trick
will be I balance my cap on the tip of my nose and let it drop.
[ Hamid ]We need good coaches. We need them to come and work with our
students, to encourage them. Our programme is developing, but we want
more. We're striving to create a more accomplished circus. We must
improve to compete with circuses in other countries, internationally.
[ VO ]After crossing the border into ‘Circustan’, Idris finds himself in an Afghanistan he’s never seen before.
[ Idris ]Hi, how are you? [ Hamid ]What's your name?
[ Idris ]My name’s Idris. [ Hamid ] Great, welcome to our circus.
[ Hamid ]Let's see what he can do, he's pretty good!
[ Mushtaba ]He already knows a little?
[ Hamid ]And he still wants to learn more. He's keen to learn.
[ VO ]The self-taught performer's routine caused quite a stir.
[ Idris ]When I arrived today, they probably thought I could only do a few basic things but later
they praised me and said, if I agreed to be a coach, they could learn new things from me.
[ Idris ]Throw it up and catch it.
[ Idris ]And again!
[ Idris ]Now, try it with two.
[ Idris ]No, no – two clubs in one hand.
[ Idris ]Throw up and… catch It's hard, right?
[ Idris ]Work on your grip.
[ Idris ]Your grip's weak.
[ Idris ] Watch me! Try to get better and better.
[ VO ]Idris had hoped to become an artist but now he’s a teacher. a satisfying result!
[ Idris ]You should learn to control it step by step.
[ Boy ]I can't.
[ VO ]“The Flowers among stones” put on a 25-30 minute performance
for school children. They’re also busy preparing a big show
to be staged in the city, which will be roughly the same
duration. Any event longer than half an hour could be dangerous.
[ Rabia ]I've found something special here that lets me
share my art with others. I share my talent and skills.
[ Voice ]Please, take your seats.
[ Voice ]Sit closer to the stage. Scoot closer together.
[ Voice ]Who does well at school?
[ Voice ]With all your hands up, I can see who does best at school.
[ Mushtaba ]Whenever I leave my home, I'm always worried
something bad might happen, so I'm always on my guard.
[ MUJTABA MADADI CIRCUS PERFORMER ]But
when I come here to the centre I feel safe I join my circus
friends and we train and practise together. We
share friendship and we practise, we're really thrilled!
[ Berit ]See the boys making a pyramid and standing on each other’s shoulders, they need to trust each
other. In this country nobody trusts each other, it’s built into the country, people don’t trust...
[ BERIT MUHLHAUSEN CO-DIRECTOR, MMCC ]But you can not make a human
pyramid unless you trust the partner who is standing on your shoulders.
[ Berit ]In Afghanistan it’s very important, in this country it’s very important to do what we do
by having boys and girls practicing and having gun
together. It’s, of course a challenge and I think one of our
biggest successes in all these many years is that we
managed to do that in a completely cultural correct way.
[ VO ]Fasilla comes from a nearby refugee camp. The trainers tell us that hers is a very common story here in Afghanistan.
[ Fazila ]I missed a few days because my dad said I couldn't come here
anymore. He said the circus was for boys and I had no business here.
[ FAZILA HAIDARI CIRCUS PERFORMER ]He said my cousin, who's bigger than me, can,
but I couldn't go to the circus. I had to do my chores at home. My father and
brother beat me up. My brother said he went to the circus and saw immoral behavior
and bad manners, he told me not to go. They said the boys and girls behaved badly.
[ BRISHNA AKBARI MMCC TEACHER ]They beat her quite
badly. I asked why she wasn't here, they said her dad forbade her.
[ Mushtaba ]Poor families often have problems and won't let kids go to school. Well, sometimes yes, sometimes no
[ Voice ] Circus school?
[ Mushtaba ]Yes, circus school. We pay them a visit and urge the parents to change their minds.
[ VO ]Mushtaba has come to visit Fasilla's parents.
[ Fazila's father ]Peace be with you, welcome.
[ Fazila's father ]Bring more pillows over.
[ Mushtaba ]You didn't let Fazila come. Why was that?
[ BOZORK GUL HAIDARI FAZILA’S FATHER ] The problem is…when they did go to school, one of them started misbehaving.
[ Fazila's father ]She suddenly became capricious,
very capricious, and then she ran away.
[ Mushtaba ]Uncle, I have a question…You can see
this is no place for children to play, it's not suitable. So,
when your children return from school, where do they
go? How do they pass the time? What games do they play?
[ Fazila's father ]Their games are based on necessity. Life is hard here, and we have little time to play.
[ Mushtaba ] Fazila's not your first child. Which is she?
[ Fazila's father ]My fifth. I have a hard time remembering.
[ Mushtaba ]Your fifth?
[ Fazila's father ]Fifth, sixth, seventh… the seventh
[ Fazila's father ]No, eighth! Yes, I've been so forgetful lately.
[ Fazila ]This is where I do my homework and my chores. I sweep the rooms and do everything.
[ Voice ]Did you go to school today?
[ Fazila ] No [ Voice ] Why?
[ Fazila ]I had chores to do at home
[ Fazila ]I had chores to do at home. We were out of firewood, so I went to get some I collected firewood, plastic, and water.
[ Fazila ]I put it over there. Show them the sacks.
[ Fazila ]They make us collect plastic to burn. Why else would I miss school?
[ Fazila ]I want to be a police officer..
[ Voice ]Why police?
[ Fazila ]Because the police protect the country,
and I could help my parents, that's good.
[ VO ]After hearing what Mushtaba had to say, Fasilla's father does allow her to go back to the
circus. Meanwhile, Rabia is perfecting her new tightrope act, and adding a few refinements.
[ Hamid ]Don't worry, breathe Breathe!
[ Hamid ]Go on, go on!
[ Hamid ]Careful, you almost hit my head!
[ Hamid ]There's no harm in whacking one or two people!
[ Rabia ]What about three?
[ Hamid ]It's her first time without a safety rope. She'll be able to perform for the public in the park.
[ Hamid ]Rabia is very brave. She can walk the tightrope without a harness. Give Rabia a round of applause.
[ Hamid ]That's her first time Careful, careful! Watch out!
[ VO ]The cast of young performers is always changing. More people want to come to circus-land that it can
possibly cope with so new applicants have to audition for a place. This time, there are 40 hopeful candidates.
[ Mushtaba ]No talking anyone Do you see this line?
[ Mushtaba ]Line up all of you, quickly, and sit down.
[ Mushtaba ]Quickly everyone, sit down
[ Hamid ]Can you all hear me? - Yeah!
[ Hamid ]Good morning!
[ Kids ]Good morning!
[ Hamid ]Are you all well? - Yes!
[ Hamid ]If you run over two minutes, we'll stop you, we don't
have time. Abuzar! Ready? Let's watch Abuzar now.
[ Boy ]Where's the pharmacy? Oh, the pain! I
have a terrible tummy ache! It hurts!
[ Boy ]It hurts!
[ Boy ]I think I broke my back!
[ Hamid ]Now, you What will you perform, gymnastics?
[ Hamid ]Well done, great!
[ VO ]Of the 40 children who try-out almost half are selected. Those lucky ones are now citizens of Circus-land.
[ Hamid ]Farzad, Zamir, Said Abushahr, Ali Resa, Mohammed Nadaser
[ Hamid ] Who's that? - Me!
[ Hamid ]You're just amazing!
[ Mushtaba ]God willing, we're putting on a big show tomorrow in Kabul. We
need to practise with our friends. We have a lot of work to do to prepare.
[ VO ]The big show in a Kabul park almost has to be cancelled. Earlier in the morning the Taliban shot down a
helicopter in Farah province and at around midday, a suicide bomber blew himself up by the gates of a prison in Kabul.
[ Ahmed ]As you're putting on a show here today, we have orders to ensure your protection
[ AHMED SIYAR BAKHA CID COMMANDER ]That's why
there's security, intelligence, and CID officers on duty here.
[ Ahmed ]When I have the time, I like to watch the circus, but
I've never seen a live circus show before. Only on TV.
[ Hamid ]Unroll it over here.
[ Hamid ]Unfold it, there, there, hold that end.
[ Rabia ]If I fall, I'll tumble, so they'll think it was on purpose.
[ Hamid ]Pull, pull it down, and you keep pulling up.
[ VO ]In spite of the tension, the young artists were determined that the show must go on
because each performance is a festive occasion, and there are precious of those in Kabul.
[ Man ]One two, one two: hear me? Just so no one complains later.
[ VO ]Everyone is slightly on edge. In Kabul, big crowds often become targets for
terrorist attacks, which is why the show can't run longer than half an hour.
[ Hamid ]Take your seats! Boys, sit down. Please make sure
people at the back can see the stage. Please get comfortable.
[ Hamid ]Secure it here, make sure it holds together!
[ Hamid ] Go sit over there I'm leaving OK, get out of here then
[ Hamid ]You were told to put away your phones.
[ Artist ]I sweep and clean floors: 'Clean here, sweep there!' I'm sick of cleaning every day.
[ Hamid ]Hand me the pole.
[ Hamid ]Step back a little
[ Rabia ]If anyone gets hurt, don't blame me!
[ Berit ]Look at Rabia walking the tightrope. This is the first
time she's doing it before the audience! And we're a bit nervous.
[ Hamid ]Thank you all very much! Thank you! Be well and take care!
[ Hamid ]Thank you everyone!
[ VO ]After just half an hour, the sound of gunfire echoes once again
around Kabul and yet another huge explosion shakes the city.