Elham Ehsas’ documentary short ‘Forgotten Spaceman,’ winner of the Leopard of Tomorrow at Locarno, has added new executive producers ahead of its Toronto premiere.
‘Forgotten Spaceman,’ the documentary short written, directed and edited by BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Elham Ehsas, has added several executive producers ahead of its upcoming presentation in Toronto. The film recently received the Leopard of Tomorrow award at the Locarno Film Festival.
The documentary focuses on Abdul Ahad Momand, the Afghan astronaut who traveled to the Mir space station in 1988. His historic journey took place during a period of major political upheaval in Afghanistan and has gradually faded from public memory.
Ehsas uses archival material and personal history to revisit Momand’s journey and examine why an important chapter of Afghanistan’s modern history became largely forgotten. The filmmaker also draws a personal connection to the astronaut’s story.
The project previously received support from Sixteen Films, the production company associated with Ken Loach and Rebecca O’Brien. The company joined the film ahead of its festival run, backing Ehsas’ effort to bring greater attention to Momand’s largely overlooked story.
After its success at Locarno, ‘Forgotten Spaceman’ is moving toward its Toronto appearance, where the documentary will continue its international festival journey.
The film combines historical material with a personal perspective, using Momand’s extraordinary space mission as a way to explore memory, identity and the changing history of Afghanistan.
