Preparing for the U.S. premiere of his controversial new movie Thursday night at the Chicago International Film Festival, director Marc Forster expressed his concern for the young Afghan actors in “The Kite Runner” and said he hopes people embrace his work.
Forster, accompanied by “Kite” star Khaled Abdalla and “Kite Runner” author Khaled Hosseini, walked the red carpet as the film festival opened with a screening of the movie, which includes a rape scene involving a boy, potentially a culturally explosive issue in Afghanistan.
Studio executives at Paramount Vantage, the company distributing the film, have pushed back the release date, saying they are concerned about the climate in Kabul in the year since the young actors were cast and want to avert violent acts against the boys. They are working to get the boys and their families out of the country. At least one of the young actors has expressed fears for his life because of the rape scene.
“We are obviously all worried about their safety, and that is why we pushed the film’s release six weeks back,” Forster said before the screening. “I hope that people will embrace the film. I tried to be very true to the Afghan culture. This film is rated PG-13, and I really hope that a lot of young people get the opportunity to go out and see it.”
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Personals was compiled by Emily Rosenbaum from Tribune news services and staff reports.