VOA标准英语2013--Afghan Coming-of-Age Film Is Oscar Contender

 

Afghan Coming-of-Age Film Is Oscar Contender

The film has vivid shots of the ancient Afghan sport called Buzkashi. It's a dangerous game played on horseback with a goat carcass. 

In this drama, filmed in Kabul, two Afghan boys dream of becoming famous Buzkashi players.

The 29-minute film is a joint¹ project of Western and Afghan filmmakers and was directed by documentary filmmaker Sam French. He has lived in Afghanistan since 2008.

The two young stars were 12 years old when the film was shot. Jawanmard Paiz is the son of a well-known Afghan actor and has acted before. Fawad Mohammadi is a newcomer whom the director knew from Chicken Street in Kabul.

“There's a bunch of kids that live on the street that try to sell you maps and bubble gum and be your body guard while you're there, street kids. And one of them was this kid Fawad who was unlike any of the other kids," French said. "He had this big huge heart, and he was incredibly nice, with big green eyes.”

The boys play a street urchin² and the son of a blacksmith. Their dreams conflict with their harsh reality. French says the boys became friends on the set and that helped make their acting³ believable.

Sam French oversaw⁴ production with Ariel Nasr, an Afghan-Canadian producer. Los Angeles filmmaker Martin Desmond Roe⁵ co-produced the film and helped write the script. “So our aim was to write something that was culturally sensitive but still honest,” he said.

The filmmakers hope the project will help revive the Afghan film industry.

For the two young actors, the nomination⁶ means a trip to Hollywood, and for Fawad Mohammadi, a chance to meet Sylvester Stallone, his movie hero. 

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 urchin   

n.顽童；海胆

参考例句：

• You should sheer off the urchin.你应该躲避这顽童。
• He is a most wicked urchin.他是个非常调皮的顽童。

3 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

4 oversaw   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统，安然引退。 来自互联网
• Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网

5 roe   

n.鱼卵；獐鹿

参考例句：

• We will serve smoked cod's roe at the dinner.宴会上我们将上一道熏鳕鱼子。
• I'll scramble some eggs with roe?我用鱼籽炒几个鸡蛋好吗？

6 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。