Newsreel - Weddings
Duration: 00:03:22; Aspect Ratio: 1.366:1; Lightness: 0.287; Volume: 0.388; Cuts per Minute: 26.061; Words per Minute: 136.525
Summary: Date (Afghan Calendar): 1353
Newsreel featuring Daoud meeting with Indian defense minister and footage of a wedding for three couples, sponsored by the Culture Ministry and broadcast on Radio Afghanistan, with contests.
Footage Source: Afghan Film 35mm positive
Translated by Rajni Prakash
Afghan Film Presents
Information and Culture
Weekly news
TV_AF
Mr. Mohammad Daud, President of Afghanistan and his Prime Minister received the Indian Deputy Defence Minister Mr. Narain, and few members of Indian Military Delegation in Gul Khana Palace of Presidential Palace for a meeting. Political Deputy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Wahid Abdullah, Brigadier General Abdul Karim, Head of Army Staff and Mr. Mehta, the Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan were also present in this meeting.
An official dinner was also arranged by the President and Prime Minister of the country for the Indian Deputy Defence Minister and his Military Delegation in the hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Hassan Sharq, Mr. Naim, cabinet members, Brigadier General Abdul Karim Head of Army Staff, senior army officers, high ranking officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ambassador and staff members of Indian Embassy in Kabul had attended this dinner party.
In a series of reform initiatives in urban affairs, the Mayor of Kabul recently initiated (a plan) to shift the cattle market from its previous location near the slaughterhouse to the other side of Bagrami Pass.
A remembrance plant was planted in the previous location of the cattle market when the market was transferred to the other side of Bagrami Pass.
According to the editors I watched it with, this newsreel footage was filmed at a triple wedding sponsored by either the Ministry of Culture or Afghan Radio & TV (RTA), or perhaps both. The lucky couples whose weddings were underwritten by the state had won some sort of radio contest; in return, their ceremonies were joined together into one mega-wedding, and broadcast live over the radio. Professional announcers from RTA sat at the head table and provided commentary on the evening; additional games and contests, like the one where a blindfolded guest had to guess who or what she was hearing from a short sound sample, were also facilitated. From the film, the guests all seem to be having a good time, and the grooms, at least, seem happy to have escaped the often crushing costs of a more traditional wedding ceremony.
Along with various other programs, Radio Afghanistan has initiated a series of talent competitions in an unprecedented development. This program, organized at the beginning of spring and for the commemoration of Nawroz, celebrated a few weddings which were done in an elaborate fashion at the Intercontinental Hotel. Radio Afghanistan in this program celebrated three weddings of young brides and grooms at the same time in an interesting and unprecedented initiative. The idea of this program has been to provide the youth service and to encourage fellow citizens to avoid and restrict the unnecessary extra expenditure (on weddings).
Section of "what am I?", is one of the interesting scenes of this program in which one of the audience members is selected -to whom the blind-folded volunteers ask a series of logical questions, trying to find out about her/his profession.
This program included the artistic presentations of Ustad Rafeeq Sadiq and other famous artists and a few of Radio Afghanistan's actors.
In this gathering, Zaher Howeida, the talented and popular singer of Radio Afghanistan, entertained the audience with his pleasing songs. The traditional ceremony of "Slow walk" of the brides in this function took place in the presence of 500 guests, including the relatives of the brides and grooms and those interested in radio competitions. Flower bouquets prepared by radio Afghanistan were presented to the young brides in this ceremony. The prizes prepared for the winners of the various talent competitions were handed over to the talented competitors by those appointed for the task by radio Afghanistan!
The End
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