Azmat Khan

Some News

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:19:00 -0400

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be moving to D.C. in June to join Al Jazeera...

Why the Military Has a Sexual Assault Problem

Sat, 11 May 2013 08:00:14 -0400

Why the Military Has a Sexual Assault Problem: Here’s why the military has a sexual assault...

Garlic naan and karahi chicken - extra spicy. Night made.

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:15:00 -0400

Garlic naan and karahi chicken - extra spicy. Night made.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I was this excited...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:53:13 -0400

I honestly can’t remember the last time I was this excited to watch a documentary.

These Birds Walk, a film by Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq, tells the story of a runaway boy searching for home on the streets of Pakistan, at an orphanage and with the family he fled in the first place.

It looks like a much more complex and moving portrait of contemporary Pakistan than we usually see, and also a universal story about trying to find your place in the world.

A shout-out to my incredible digital colleagues at FRONTLINE who...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:30:00 -0400

A shout-out to my incredible digital colleagues at FRONTLINE who made this beautifully designed, well-executed interactive exploring how retirement fees cost you big money. Math made easy.

"It certainly takes courage to speak, but it takes a different kind of courage to be silent, to..."

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:22:06 -0400

“It certainly takes courage to speak, but it takes a different kind of courage to be silent,...

On Al Jazeera America’s “radical agenda: unbiased...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:54:47 -0400

On Al Jazeera America’s “radical agenda: unbiased news, delivered via virtually unlimted resources.”

aljazeeraamerica:

We’re in Vogue! Check out the May issue for an inside look at the launch of Al Jazeera America.

Moved by the cover of the upcoming New Yorker, ”Shadow...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:08:00 -0400

Moved by the cover of the upcoming New Yorker, ”Shadow Over Boston.”

“A bomb at a marathon, right at the finish line of a festive occasion—it seemed almost like a mixed metaphor, incongruous and absurd,” artist Eric Drooker said. “Those are just the things that flashed through my head as I started painting.”

Locked down in Cambridge today, I can’t think of a better way of describing this madness.

Syria Behind the Lines is the only film to document...

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:21:00 -0400

Syria Behind the Lines is the only film to document Syria’s civil war from both sides of the line. If you missed it on PBS this week, you can watch it anytime on our website, where there’s much more to explore.

A few digital highlights I’d like to point out:

The Bombing of al-Bara, a rare, immersive video portrait I produced of the immediate aftermath of Syrian government air strikes on a civilian population. FRONTLINE filmmaker Olly Lambert takes you through the chaos, destruction, fear and terror on the ground like nothing you’ve ever seen before. It’s absolutely indelible.
Our interactive map of the Orontes River valley illustrates a powerful microcosm of the conflict’s emerging sectarian divide - a once-peaceful valley now at war. This data is incredibly difficult to collect and you won’t find it anywhere else. It’s an especially immersive experience on an iPad.
The photo above is from Olly Lambert’s jarring behind the scenes photo essay that crisscrosses the fault lines of Syria’s war.
A grenade costs about $80 in Idlib province today. Two years ago, it cost about half that. In this piece for FRONTLINE, TIME’s Rania Abouzeid explains the flow and politics of the weapons in Syria’s war.
What’s behind the world’s inaction on Syria? My colleague Sarah Childress breaks it down.
Our managing editor Philip Bennett thoughtfully explores questions of genocide and Syria’s future. It’s worth reading and reflecting on.
And lastly, how has Syria’s embattled president Bashar al-Assad managed to hold on to power for so long? The Regime Responds, a film by FRONTLINE producer Marcela Gaviria, traces the roots of the Syrian rebellion, from the lingering, deep-seated resentments that stem from repression under Hafez al-Assad’s regime, to the failed hopes for reform promised by his son, to the spread of the current uprising. It’s the history and context you need to understand what’s happening in Syria today.

I’ve spent the last few weeks producing “The Bombing...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:59:00 -0400

I’ve spent the last few weeks producing “The Bombing of al-Bara,” an immersive digital short film about Syria.

FRONTLINE filmmaker Olly Lambert was in the village of al-Bara in Idlib province filming Syrian rebel commander Jamal Maarouf when government jets dropped bombs on homes 300 meters away from him. Though the blast knocked him to the ground, Olly kept filming for the next hour, journeying to the scenes of each strike.

I produced the footage into this 36-minute digital film, vividly narrated by Olly. It captures the chaos on the ground as villagers try to rescue family and friends trapped under the rubble, the bombing’s effect on ordinary civilians whose lives literally have just been blown apart, the terrible fear when the government jets return for a second bombing run, and the ensuing calls for revenge that illustrate the country’s descent into a no man’s land of hatred, suspicion and terror.

I hope you’ll watch.

An incredible shot from FRONTLINE’s coming film, Syria...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:52:56 -0400

An incredible shot from FRONTLINE’s coming film, Syria Behind the Lines: A rainbow from the vantage point of a Syrian soldier at a government checkpoint in Aziziya.

The Iraq War began 10 years ago this week and has cost 16 times...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:40:00 -0400

The Iraq War began 10 years ago this week and has cost 16 times what the Bush administration predicted: $800 billion (and counting). Add it up for yourself with our interactive.

Also explore our deep portal on the war’s legacy, where you can also watch all of FRONTLINE’s reporting on the subject over the years.

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the Syrian conflict....

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:08:00 -0400

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the Syrian conflict. What began as peaceful protests in a small farming town 60 miles south of Damascus is today a bloody nationwide civil war with no end in sight.

Here’s a jarring scene from our coming film Syria Behind the Lines: A woman pushes her child in a stroller just moments after an air strike in al-Bara.

"Give your daughters difficult names. Give your daughters names that command the full use of tongue...."

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:40:57 -0500

“Give your daughters difficult names. Give your daughters names that command the full use of...

In my humble opinion, Biryani Park is hands down the most...

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:36:00 -0500

Grilled Deviled Shrimp

Chicken Lamprais: Samba rice, chicken curry, devilled chicken, fish cutlet, boiled eggs, tamarind eggplant, mangos, pineapple and date chutney wrapped in a banana leaf and slow baked.

Samosa Chaat

Deviled Okra Salad.

Lamb Rotti Kotthu: ceylon paratha with vegetables, green chili, curry leaves, and egg.

Coconut Roti with Sambol

In my humble opinion, Biryani Park is hands down the most delicious restaurant in the Boston area. Pure Sri Lankan goodness from some of the warmest, most enthusiastic owners you’ll meet.

"One of the things that’s heartening by this partnership is the fact that it shows that media outlets..."

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:51:00 -0500

““One of the things that’s heartening by this partnership is the fact that it shows that...

Do yourself a favor and go watch the five Oscar-nominated live...

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:33:00 -0500

Do yourself a favor and go watch the five Oscar-nominated live action short films playing together right now.

Each is affecting in its own way, but all of the stories share the theme of resilience after crisis. Though they’re heavy to watch, I walked away feeling exhilarated. It’s kind of the perfect way to spend two hours (apart from brief host cameos between the films).

A little about each below, along with their trailers.

ASAD

Amidst war-torn Somalia, young Asad tries, unsuccessfully, to join a gang of pirates. Instead, he chooses to do what’s right again and again and again, with a surprising dose of humor throughout. This was probably my favorite of the batch, and not just because the film’s entire cast is made of up of Somali refugees who fled to South Africa. (You can also watch it on iTunes for $2.)

HENRY

A wrenching depiction of Alzheimer’s and true love, I may have spent the entire film crying and hoping that I’ll always be able to remember what, and whom, I love.

BUZKASHI BOYS

About two friends who dream big in the war-torn ruins of Kabul, the film is a stunning micro-portrait of a boy coming of age in contemporary Afghanistan. I didn’t anticipate the film’s dark twist, but probably should have.

CURFEW

About a junkie uncle reconnecting with his precocious niece Sophia, Curfew was probably the funniest and, in some ways, the simplest of the films. Still, Sophia is damn charming.

DEATH OF A SHADOW

If you died today and were given the opportunity to come back to life for just a bit, how would you choose to spend that time? That’s what I was thinking about after watching this. A bit confusing but incredibly imaginative, this Dutch film hammers home important lessons about love and sacrifice.

Confused by Washington’s bitter two-year fiscal fight? To...

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:29:00 -0500

Confused by Washington’s bitter two-year fiscal fight? To help, I’ve been working on this interactive “Guide to the Gridlock” that breaks down the dramatic saga. Check it out, part of FRONTLINE’s Cliffhanger special airing on PBS tonight.

Ahead of the State of the Union tonight, go inside...

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:21:06 -0500

Ahead of the State of the Union tonight, go inside Washington’s biggest brawl with FRONTLINE. Cliffhanger, an investigation into Washington’s bitter high stakes showdown over the country’s debt and deficit problems, airs tonight on PBS.

No one else does narrative journalism like this.

As Afghanistan fades from the headlines, do yourself a favor and...

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 02:42:00 -0500

As Afghanistan fades from the headlines, do yourself a favor and watch Buzkashi Boys, a ravishing narrative film about two best friends who dream big in the war-torn ruins of Kabul.

Though the country’s film industry has been ravaged by war, the film was shot entirely on location in Afghanistan, investing heavily in local talent.

As director Sam French explained it:

We hoped to describe a richer and more intimate view of Afghanistan than that seen in the Western media. We wanted to tell a story about two kids who have larger than life dreams, and show that even here, in a country wracked by war, there are things that connect us all.

Nominated for an Oscar in the best live action short category, it’s probably playing near you now.

Oh and something else to make you smile: Fulfilling the “dreaming big” theme, Fawad Mohammadi, the Afghan teenager who plays the film’s main character, will be attending the Oscars. It’s a damn charming story.