Good morning 🐣

In what seems a tad out of character, the Taliban are offering free SIM cards to refugees in Afghanistan, granting them access to global information, communication, and entertainment. Sophie Schmidt, writing for Rest of World:

Global trade now means that even a pariah government like the Taliban can invest in and operate sophisticated surveillance systems, while imposing regressive policies that keep its population poor, hungry, and isolated. It’s a profound signal of how all governments will approach digital control in our era. For the Taliban, the value of being able to track Afghanistan’s women and girls — who remain barred from working, being educated, or even visiting parks — is higher than the risk of giving them access to the world and its information. The same world the Taliban fought wars to shield them from.

A brief intermission 🍿

“Ashkasha” is a six-minute stop-motion animated short by Lara Maltz that follows the title character as her curiosity leads her into a beautifully macabre underwater world. Maltz uses a variety of everyday materials to bring this journey to life, including what looks like aluminum foil as ripples in the water. You can find more of her work on her official site and Instagram.

Now watch this 👀

A movie I wrote about for last year’s Sundance Film Festival is now available for rent on Apple TV and Spectrum:

Winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision (pause for breath), “Animalia” is the visually stunning, gripping story of Itto (played by Oumaïma Barid), a young Berber woman from a poor rural background who has “married up” into a wealthy family in Morocco. She still casually chats with the hired help, much to her mother-in-law’s disapproval. When she’s left home alone, Itto kicks off her shoes and lets her hair down, only to have her relaxation cut short by a mysterious national emergency. Strange weather, creepy dogs, and villagers that trip into the uncanny valley dot the landscape as she desperately makes her way across the country to her husband and the safety of police barricades. It’s a surreal, dreamlike roadtrip that addresses classism, organized religion, and the feelings of helplessness and loneliness during a global crisis. Director Sofia Alaoui previously made the short film “So What If the Goats Die,” which follows a goatherd buying animal feed in town the day aliens visit Earth. “Animalia” presumably takes place during this same event, but leaves it open-ended and vague.

It’s always fun revisiting film festival favorites. “Animalia” is an impressive directorial debut bursting with beautiful visuals and strong acting.

Until next time! 👋