Bristol · 23–27 September 2026
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Forgotten Spaceman

Forgotten Spaceman

2026 · 16 min · Pashto

In 1988, Afghanistan sent its first and only astronaut, Abdul Ahad Momand, into space. From orbit, he called his mother, making Pashto the fourth language ever spoken beyond Earth. Momand’s story became a fleeting moment of hope as the country beneath him collapsed and millions of Afghans were pushed into exile. This film playfully links a historical event and a familiar common feeling: the experience of diaspora, the shadows of colonialism, and the memory of fractured and silenced nation.

Credits

Director
Elham Ehsas
Screenwriter
Elham Ehsas
Producer
Lorraine Bhattachary (MonoFilm Productions)
Executive Producers
Catherine Tschaepe, Jack Thomas-O’Brien (Sixteen Films)
Editor
Elham Ehsas
Composer
CJ Mirra
Sound Design
Rob Szeliga, John Cohen
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