Help Saba Sahar and Her Family Find a New Home in Canada

Saba Sahar, an Afghan director, actress, and the nation’s first female police officer, survived a brutal Taliban assassination attempt in August 2020 after being shot four times. A powerful symbol of women’s rights and courage, she and her family of seven are now seeking asylum in Canada, unable to return to Afghanistan. I met Saba in 2004 during my workshop at the Academy of Fine Arts Kabul.

With the words of Sue Nelson:

At long last, the Zaki family has been reunited safely in Canada! The last 4 family members (Emal’s three sister Mursal, Bibi Hawa and Khatol and Emal’s father Mohammad Alam) arrived in Toronto on September 14.

You may remember this journey began with a shocking assasination attempt and the family’s flight to Tajikistan where they remained as uncertain refugees. But unlikely as it was, a very kind group of Canadian sponsors from the Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough (UFP) raised their hands to help. And over the next 5 years, with financial help from all of you, the sponsors were able bring the entire family to their new home in Canada. They are all now permanent residents and settling into lives with a brighter future.

We’ve accomplished what we set out to do. So this will be my last posting before I close this site. If you are so inclined to send any final donations, I will get them directly to the family. You should all feel so very proud. Not only have you brought them to safety, but have changed the trajectory of this family for generations to come. They are all very grateful to you—as am I.

I want to share a note from Emal that conveys their gratitude much more eloquently than I possibly could:

“As we prepare to welcome my father and the rest of our family to Canada, I have been reflecting deeply on the journey that brought us here—and on the extraordinary people who stood beside us when our future was uncertain.
When we were forced to leave Afghanistan because of the dangers and difficulties we faced, we arrived in Tajikistan without knowing what would happen next. We did not know where to turn, how long we would remain there, or whether we would ever find safety and stability again. Above all, I was deeply worried about the future of our children. We were living with fear, uncertainty, and very little control over what would come next.
Today, when I see our children studying, becoming involved in their community, and building their lives in Canada, I know that none of this would have been possible without you. And now, as my father and other members of our family prepare to arrive, the long separation our family has endured is finally coming to an end. We will once again be together.
There is no gift greater than helping a family find safety, hope, and a future. What you have done for us cannot be measured simply in time, money, paperwork, or effort. Its true value can be seen in every peaceful day our children experience, every opportunity they receive, and every dream they are now able to pursue.
I am deeply moved to know that there are people in this world who dedicate themselves to the safety and happiness of others—people who step forward when another human being is vulnerable and uncertain, and who expect nothing in return.
From the deepest part of my heart, thank you for believing in us, standing beside us, and helping us begin a new life. Your kindness has permanently changed the course of our family’s story. We will carry that kindness with us for the rest of our lives, and we will never forget what each of you has done for us.
With profound gratitude and love. “

Aid for Saba and Family

Nafisa Saba Sahar

Early Career & Theatre

• Saba Sahar obtained her baccalaureate from Ansari Balkhi Girls College in Kabul.
• Her initial engagement with acting began on school theatre open stages at the age of nine.
• In 1986, at the age of eleven, she was officially hired as an open stage drama performer at the Kabul Theatre Center, where she built her early acting career.
• In 1988, she was honored with the Best Open Stage Performer Award at Afghanistan’s National Open Stage Drama Festival.

Transition to Police & Film Management

• In 1990, Sahar joined the Ministry of Interior’s Cinema and Theatre Department as a performer. During this time, she completed her initial police training and became a police officer after nine months.
• In 1992, she was appointed as the Manager of the Cinema and Theatre Department at the Ministry of Interior, where she wrote numerous open stage dramas.

Filmmaking & Directing

• In 1999, she pursued academic studies at the Shafaq Film Institution and earned a national certificate in film directing.
• In 2002, she undertook an intensive film directing course at the Fine Arts Department of Kabul University, marking the beginning of her directorial career.
• In 2003, she established Saba Film Production Company (SFPC), becoming the first woman to launch a film production company in Afghanistan, marked by a large official ceremony in Kabul.
• Sahar has appeared in more than 36 short and feature films and has performed in over 80 open stage dramas.

Major Works & Appointments (2004–2011)

• 2004: Wrote, directed, and produced her first feature film. She was also appointed by the Ministry of Information and Culture as a delegation member for Afghanistan’s picture broadcasting observers.
• 2005: Appointed as a leader within Afghanistan’s cinema union and filmmaking community.
• 2005: Produced, directed, and wrote the feature film Oath (Sawgand). She also made the Pashto film Brightness After Darkness (Rana Di Toor Tam Pasi).
• 2007: Produced two films: The Rescue and The Monsters of the Death.
• 2008: Produced and directed the feature film My Life My Homeland (Tani Man Watani Man). She also produced and directed 25 documentary films titled Living in Cave (Sandagi Dar Magaraha).
• 2010: Produced a 15-episode drama series focused on the elimination of violence against women.
• 2011: Produced a 40-episode series drama titled Commissar Amanullah focusing on Afghan national police empowerment.

Awards and Recognition

• 1988: Best Open Stage Performer (Afghanistan National Theatrical Festival).
• 2005: Awarded the title of Best and First Afghan Woman Filmmaker and Director.
• 2005: Best Feature Film Award for Oath (Tajikistan Didar Film Festival).
• 2008: Special Award for the documentary Living in Cave (Safma Nepal Film Festival).
• 2008: Received numerous prizes for the Living in Cave documentary from organizations including GTZ, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and various Afghan cinema and art institutions.

Mobile Cinema

• 2005: Produced, directed, and wrote the feature film Law (Qaboon), funded by the Ministry of Interior. It was broadcasted by the Saba Film mobile cinema screening team in over ten main provinces of Afghanistan.
• 2008: Produced, directed, and wrote the feature film The Rescue (Najat), funded by the GTZ organization. It was screened by the Saba Film mobile cinema screening team in over 17 provinces of Afghanistan.