Afghan woman fights warlords in Sundance spotlight

Enemies of Happiness wins "The world cinema jury prize for documentary" in Sundance It has already received Silver Wolf Award at the 2006 International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).

PARK CITY, Utah (AFP): The true story of an Afghan woman's fight against drug barons, warlords and her election to a seat in parliament is winning admirers at the Sundance Film Festival.

"Enemies of Happiness," from Danish director Eva Mulvad, chronicles the trials of Malalai Joya, who enraged delegates at a 2003 tribal council in Afghanistan by stating that warlords responsible for years of civil war should be punished.

Since then Joya has been subjected to regular death threats as she seeks to bring to justice the men she says are to blame for ruining her homeland.

Mulvad said she sought to bring another side of Afghanistan to people's attention.

"Usually we hear a lot stories about the bombs, terrorists and military issues and this film is totally another way of looking upon everyday life in a war zone," Mulvad told AFP.

"It brings you a feeling of hope, of energy. And to me at least I think it's important that we (hear) stories that we can relate to in a human way. So that we don't think that Afghanistan is a totally crazy war zone."

Mulvad's film begins with Joya's impassioned speech against corruption to the Afghan Grand Council of tribal leaders in 2003, to lay the foundation for democracy in the new Afghanistan.

"She stands up and talks very radically against the warlords and they just shout at her and throw her out of the meeting," says Mulvad.

"She is very strong, very powerful and the story is like a fairy tale. She is a young woman really raising her voice against the powerful men in Afghanistan," said Mulvad.

When Afghanistan held its first parliamentary elections in September 2005 Joya was one of the candidates vying for a seat in the assembly.

She campaigns in the remote desert province of Farah where living conditions are among the worst in the country.

"When she stands up in the Great Assembly and talks against the warlords she also changes her life radically because she makes herself a target for a lot of people who want to kill her," Mulvad said.

"Up to now there have been four attempts on her life and it's still going on today -- she lives under cover. She moves from house to house."

Although Mulvad says Joya's story inspires hope, the film offers a grim portrait of an Afghanistan riddled with corruption, poverty, hostility and instability.

"Malalai Joya is sitting in the parliament today with a lot of the people who were responsible for crimes in Afghanistan during the last decades and there have been no trials and they are still in power," Mulvad said.

"It is very difficult to build a democracy with that kind of conflict in parliament. When Malalai Joya's microphone is turned off, they are throwing bottles of water at her."