The Orphanage 2019
Step back to Kabul in the early 1990s, where the streets hum with Soviet-era pop hits and the air smells of popcorn and rebellion.
Director: Shahrbanoo Sadat
Cast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Orphanage (2019) about?
Set in 1990s Kabul under Soviet influence, the film follows a 14-year-old ticket hustler who accidentally sells a pass to a secret police officer and winds up faking his identity inside a Soviet orphanage. It's a gripping portrait of survival, deception, and the fragile dreams of Afghan youth.
Who directed The Orphanage?
The Orphanage was directed by Shahrbanoo Sadat, an Afghan filmmaker known for blending personal storytelling with cultural history.
Who stars in The Orphanage?
The cast includes Hasibullah Rasooli, Masihullah Feraji, Qodratollah Qadiri, Sediqa Rasuli, and Anwar Hashimi.
Is The Orphanage (2019) worth watching?
With its unique blend of music, drama, and historical tension, The Orphanage offers a fresh perspective on Afghan life in the early '90s. While not widely rated, its authentic voice and compelling narrative make it a standout indie gem worth streaming or downloading.
How long is The Orphanage?
The Orphanage runs for 90 minutes, packing its Soviet-era Kabul odyssey into a tight, engaging runtime.
🎥 Trailer
About The Orphanage (2019) — Kabul's Soviet-era teens risk it all under Bollywood skies
Step back to Kabul in the early 1990s, where the streets hum with Soviet-era pop hits and the air smells of popcorn and rebellion. Director Shahrbanoo Sadat's debut feature, The Orphanage (2019), paints a vivid snapshot of a city that still clings to Western liberties under Soviet oversight. Fourteen-year-old Qodrat hustles tickets on the black market, ticking off Soviet cops and dreaming of cinema dreams, until a fateful sale lands him inside a Soviet-run orphanage where identity is currency and survival means keeping secrets. Through pulsating Bollywood-infused sequences, the film blends raw teenage grit with the surreal backdrop of a Kabul that feels just close enough to freedom to make its loss sting.
Sadat crafts a coming-of-age tale that's equal parts nostalgia and cautionary fable, where miniskirts mingle with propaganda and the cinema screen becomes both escape and battleground. Qodrat's journey from street-smart hustler to reluctant orphan reveals a society dancing on the edge of collapse, where one wrong move could erase your past—or your future.