A Journey Into Zero Space

At the early age of thirteen, Dawood Hilmandi fled from Afghanistan, leaving his large family and his daily life. A Journey into Zero Space shows fragments of life in Afghanistan and the need to go away from the country. It is a triptych that combines between autobiographical fiction and an experimental film essay. Archives give the possibility to re-living the past and to reflect on both what is in and past and on current events.

As Dawood’s personal freedom is curbed by his father’s new-found religious fervour of the Hazara people, he chooses to leave his family and flees from Afghanistan. This history gave Dawood a story about choosing to be crushed by authority and freedom. He surpasses the systematic narrative structure of Hollywood cinema with his experimental film.

The film is a part of director’s project The Zero Space. His work addresses untold stories and sensitive issues like taboos or hidden desires that remain under the shadow of imposed systems. Memory, personal freedom and identity are central in the film and offer the viewer an insight into a personal space of reflection.