Nelofer Pazira facts for kids
Nelofer Pazira is an Afghan-Canadian director, actress, journalist, and author. She is known for her work in films and for helping women in Afghanistan.
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About Nelofer Pazira
Nelofer Pazira was born in 1973 in Hyderabad, India. Her father worked there for the World Health Organization. She grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan. Nelofer lived through ten years of the Soviet occupation. This was when the Soviet Union had control over Afghanistan.
In 1989, when she was 16, Nelofer and her family made a very risky escape to Pakistan. The next year, her family moved to New Brunswick, Canada.
Nelofer's Career and Education
In 2001, Nelofer started her own film company called Kandahar Films. She has directed many documentary films. She has also been a judge at several film festivals around the world. These include festivals in Locarno, Geneva, and Montreal.
Nelofer has also worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). She worked on both CBC Television and CBC Radio.
She studied Journalism and English Literature at Carleton University in Ottawa. She also earned a master's degree from Concordia University in Montreal. Nelofer has received special honorary doctorates from Carleton and Thompson Rivers University.
Nelofer often speaks at international meetings and universities. She shared her thoughts at a special event about religion, culture, and conflict. In 2006, her book, A Bed of Red Flowers: In Search of My Afghanistan, won an award.
In 2009, Nelofer married English journalist Robert Fisk. He passed away in 2020.
Nelofer's Films and Radio Work
In 1996, Nelofer tried to go back to Afghanistan. At that time, the Taliban group was in charge. She wanted to find her childhood friend, Dyana. She was not able to find her friend.
The Film Kandahar
This journey inspired the film Kandahar. This movie was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001. It became very well known after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
Nelofer starred as herself in Kandahar. The movie was partly true and partly made-up. It was based on her real trip in 1996. Nelofer won an award for her acting in Kandahar.
Other Film Projects
Later, Nelofer helped make and act in Return to Kandahar. This was a documentary film. It showed her going back to Afghanistan in 2002 to try and find her friend again. This documentary won a Gemini Award in Canada in 2003. She also appeared in the documentary The Giant Buddhas.
In 2008, Nelofer directed and produced Audition. This documentary was about images and movies in Afghanistan. It was first shown at a big film festival in Canada. She also wrote and directed Act of Dishonour (2010). This dramatic film was about the difficult situations faced by refugees returning home.
Nelofer has also written for many newspapers and magazines. These include Toronto Star and The Independent of London.
Nelofer's Humanitarian Work
Nelofer started a charity called the Dyana Afghan Women's Fund (www.dawf.ca). It is named after her childhood friend, Dyana, who sadly passed away during Taliban rule. This charity helps women in Afghanistan get education and learn useful skills.
She has also helped UNESCO. UNESCO is an organization that works to protect culture around the world. Nelofer helped them with their cultural work in Afghanistan.
Nelofer was also the president of PEN Canada. This group works to protect freedom of expression. In 2009, she traveled with the Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean. They visited Slovenia, Croatia, and Greece as cultural representatives.
Filmography
- Kandahar (2001)
- Return to Kandahar (2003)
- The Giant Buddhas (2005)
- Audition (2008)
- Act of Dishonour (2010)
- This is Not a Movie (2019)
See also
In Spanish: Nelofer Pazira para niños
