The Runner directed by Aziz Naiel

What did  Aziz Naiel say about his film?

I was interested in acting since I was a child. Later, I found an 8mm film camera, made several experimental films with it, and graduated from the Theatre Department of the Afghan University of Arts. And I went to the Soviet Union to study cinema.

From 1980 to 2025, I wrote and directed about 18 short and feature-length fiction films, was the writer, cinematographer, and director of 5 documentaries for Canadian television, acted in 4 English-language films, and produced a television program for the Afghan community in Toronto, Canada for 22 years. Since 2007, I have been the president of Bakhtar Productions, and my latest work is the short fiction film The Runner.

This film mainly revolves around human rights issues, especially women's rights, and shows how different perspectives of family leaders can be decisive for the younger generation. In this story, the runner is not only Sabur, but also Maryam, the daughter of another family who dreams of running. Here, running is about moving forward, evolution, and progress.

The film uses many symbols such as: dialogue, light, a scarf in the air, and music, and in the end, Maryam's father wants to thwart her positive aspirations even to the point of her destruction. However, Aisha, who is a symbol of the future generation, comes out from behind bars and walks steadily towards the dawn, continuing Maryam's path.