External links
- Warlord of Kayan at IMDb
- Warlord of Kayan at Journeyman Pictures
| Warlord of Kayan | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Jeff B. Harmon |
| Starring | Sayed Jafar Naderi |
| Cinematography | Alexander Lindsay |
| Distributed by | Journeyman Pictures |
Release date |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Warlord of Kayan is a 1989 documentary film directed by Jeff B. Harmon about Sayed Jafar Naderi, the son of Sayed Mansur Naderi, an Ismaili leader in Afghanistan. [1] The film documents Naderi's transition from life in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to becoming a provincial governor and military commander in Afghanistan during the Soviet–Afghan War. [2] The film won the Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival. [3]
Sayed Jafar Naderi, also known as Jeff Naderi, spent his teenage years in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he worked at McDonald's and was involved in the local motorcycle and rock music scene. [4] He returned to Afghanistan and by age 24 had become governor of Baghlan Province and commanded a military force. [5]
The documentary examines Naderi's role commanding approximately 12,000 armed forces based in Kayan during the Soviet–Afghan War. [6] The film portrays his position as a power broker between Soviet forces, the Afghan government, and Mujahideen factions during the conflict. [7]
The film was directed by Jeff B. Harmon and filmed by British cameraman Alexander Lindsay. [8] It was part of Harmon's "Afghan Trilogy," which included the documentaries Jihad: Afghanistan's Holy War and Afgan. The trilogy presented perspectives on the Soviet-Afghan War from the Mujahideen, Soviet forces, and an independent Afghan commander. [9]
The film won the Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 1989. [10]
A photograph from the film of Sayed Jafar Naderi taken by director Jeff B. Harmon was featured on the cover of The Sunday Times Magazine. [11]
