FORGOTTEN SPACEMAN

HERSHEWE FAZANAWERD

Elham Ehsas • Afghanistan, UK • 2026 • 16 min. • HD

SYNOPSIS

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 a fractured and silenced nation.

TRAILER

FESTIVALS & ALTERNATIVE SCREENINGS

Locarno Film Festival | Pardi di Domani. Switzerland (2026)
DokuFest International Documentary and Short Film Festival. Kosovo (2026)
Toronto International Film Festival. Canada (2026)

CREW

DIRECTOR & SCRIPTWRITER
Elham Ehsas

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Catherine Tschaepe
Jack Thomas-O’Brien (Sixteen Films)

PRODUCERS
Lorraine Bhattachary (MonoFilm Productions)
Elham Ehsas (Foreigner Films)

SOUND DESIGN
Rob Szeliga
John Cohen

EDITOR
Elham Ehsas

COMPOSER
CJ Mirra

COLOUR
Mara Ciorba

DCP
Jack Adney

WORLD SALES & FESTIVALS
María Vera (KINO REBELDE)