Osama (film)

According to The Other Wiki: Osama (Persian: أسامة) is a 2003 film made in Afghanistan by Siddiq Barmak. It is about a young girl in Afghanistan under the Taliban who disguises herself as a boy, Osama, in order to support her family. It was the first film to be shot entirely in Afghanistan since 1996, when the Taliban regime banned the creation of all films. The film was an international co-production between companies in Afghanistan, the Netherlands, Japan, Ireland and Iran.

To put it in troper vernacular, Osama is a real Tear Jerker that shows the effect the Taliban rule had on women, and how the Up to Eleven Double Standard often created impossible situations for them. Circumstances have left "Osama's" family without any male relatives to support them. When the Taliban close the hospital where they work, and enforce draconic restriction against women working or moving about freely, their choices are literally to endanger their daughter and break the law, or starve.

Not to be confused with Osama Bin Laden. Although the use of his name is probably not an accident, the film makes no other reference to him.


 * Big Brother Mentor: Espandi gives Osama shit about being effeminate, but uses his popularity with the other boys to support her secret identity, teaches her masculine mannerisms, gives her the authoritative nickname, and.
 * Crapsack World: Life under the Taliban sucks and there's NO WAY OUT.
 * Double Standard
 * Downer Ending
 * Fate Worse Than Death:
 * Growing Up Sucks
 * No Name Given: To the max. Out of a fair-sized cast, no one in the film is named save Espandi.
 * Old Man Marrying a Child: Several examples are seen in the movie, as it is considered acceptable by the Taliban. The hypocrisy behind the supposedly Islam-approved practice is shown by the fact that the Taliban literally auction the girls off to the highest bidder.
 * Pass Fail
 * Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: The movie pretty much leans way over to the cynicism side of the scale. Though considering the subject matter, it's understandable.
 * Sweet Polly Oliver: With all camp and humor removed.