KABUL, Afghanistan — The Culture Ministry has quietly banned the importing of “The Kite Runner,” a film based on the best- selling novel about childhood betrayal, ethnic tension and sexual predation in Afghanistan.
Latif Ahmadi, director of the state-run company Afghan Film, which is the authorized importer of films, said in response to inquiries Tuesday that the ministry had formally notified theater owners in Afghanistan three months ago that the film, which was shot partly in Afghanistan, would not be allowed to be shown here.
Ahmadi did not specify the reasons for the ban but said, “Some of the film’s scenes will arouse sensitivity among some of our people.”
There has long been concern about angry reaction in Afghanistan to the screen adaptation of the novel, particularly a pivotal scene in which a boy is raped.
The New York Times
