PAIKAR

PAIKAR

PAIKAR

2025, Netherlands, 97, Dawood Hilmandi

Synopsis

Dutch-Afghan filmmaker Dawood Hilmandi returns to confront his estranged father, a former mujahideen fighter turned imam, writer, and poet, in a poetic and deeply human search for love, forgiveness, and understanding. Paikar moves between Afghanistan, Iran, and the Netherlands, exploring the invisible inheritance of war and silence that shapes generations. Through this intimate father-son encounter, Hilmandi invites us to look beyond politics and history, and to rediscover the tenderness that endures within even the most hardened souls.

🏆WP: IDFA 2025 - Best First Feature award, FIPRESCI Award and Best Dutch Film Award Special Mention
PAIKAR Poster