Educational Media Reviews Online

This is a mixed review. While the film is beautifully shot, very well edited and the picture quality and sound are superb the film title is a bit off base. The documentary crosses between one man’s attempts to reconcile the loss of his only son in the 9-11 terrorist bombing of the twin towers and humanitarian efforts to provide humanitarian understanding to help children of war cope with their losses. We follow the life of Haruhiro Shiratori, himself a survivor of the U.S. World War II bombings of Japan in which he at age 8 lost his parents and much of his family. Recurrently the director takes us to WWII footage and back to scenes of the Twin Towers, and yet again to scenes in war torn Afghanistan, particularly the city of Kabul. We learn of the life of Shiratori and his estranged son. We find that perhaps some of Mr. Shriatori’s desire to help other children survive war and death arises from his relationship with his son. It was easy to infer that part of the film actually serves as a means by which one parent comes to deal with his own past when roads are suddenly closed forever by death. Amends are no longer possible once one party dies.

Regardless, we can find much in examining how it is that Shiratori deals with the death of his son and their relationship. This serves as one fascinating opportunity for students and those interested in psychology to evaluate this film. A parallel focus of this film is in the commendable effort that Shiratori makes in orchestrating a cultural center that links Japan, the U.S. and Afghanistan through sharing culture. While the viewer may feel that perhaps this endeavor is part of a grieving parent to fulfill a meaning that he wishes had existed between him and his son there is also much to be examined in the concept of sharing culture. Hence, we can examine this film both from trying to understand the psychological side of death, dying and parenting as well as examining how cultures may sociologically connect and help bring understanding to different peoples of culture and ethnicity thereby helping those who must carry the baggage of war torn society with them to adulthood.

Though at first you may not make a connection with A Dream For Kabul, this reviewer feels that if you give the film a chance, and consider its potential dualities for deeper social and psychological understandings you will feel rewarded. It should offer several avenues for questions and examination of human relations.