Yesterday, a major European channel aired news about Zelensky, though the exact program eludes memory. The viewer found themselves flipping through channels in a compulsive rhythm, yet Zelenskiy dominated the discussion as the on-screen focus. They spoke about what the army looked like and how its routines function under strain. The ongoing violence in Ukraine remains a grim constant, with reports of killings continuing in the region. War often becomes a steady background noise on television, a new conflict replacing the old one in coverage cycles.
If Ukraine already appears on screens less frequently, what remains striking is how rarely networks illuminate developments in Afghanistan. The country drew global attention in the summer of 2021 when Western forces, led by the United States, withdrew, leaving residents under Taliban control once again. That surge of interest faded within weeks, and many networks now memory-hole Afghanistan in their newer lineups. Among the few who have not forgotten is the documentary filmmaker and journalist Marcel Mettelsiefen, whose body of work keeps Afghanistan in viewers’ minds.
Movistar Plus+ has released the documentary “Sons of the Taliban,” which follows a journey into the lives of those living in a shattered city and its surroundings. The filmmaker encounters a harsh contradiction: two 9-year-old girls work the streets shining shoes to bring small sums home and to stave off famine, while their father is no longer present because he was tortured by the group in charge. Their mother does not work, as women in the area often face explicit prohibitions on labor. The girls search for bread while clinging to a fragile optimism, imagining a future they can express openly on camera.
Two eight-year-old boys also appear in the documentary, one the son of a local Taliban leader and the other of his secretary. Their lives unfold differently from the girls’. Education occurs in a madrasa where the Quran is memorized; the moment someone can recite verses, the possibility of listening to calls for violence seems to take on a persuasive power. The boys voice hopes for the future, with one expressing a wish to become a mujahid when grown, their days shaped by the disciplined routine of weapon handling and family expectations.
There is another notable work centered on Afghanistan, titled “In Their Hands,” which recently found its place on a popular streaming platform. The filmmaker’s persistence shines through, contrasting with the spectacle and occasional indifference of mainstream television. The audience is invited to follow these stories closely, to see beyond headlines, and to remember the people whose lives are affected by a protracted conflict. The point is not to sensationalize but to illuminate the human dimension of events that often feel distant and abstract.