Browse films

RocKabul

Travis Beard
Australia, 2018, 90 min.


AIFF Award Winner:
Best Music Documentary

RocKabul is a coming of age documentary about youth, freedom of expression, and the strength of the human spirit. As Afghanistan's first and only metal band, District Unknown, performed to disenchanted Afghan youth, the expat community and eventually the outside world. By challenging the traditional Islamic republic, District Unknown put themselves and their fans in the firing line, and their story shows a side of Afghan life rarely shown in Western media.

One of the District Unknown band members, Qais, and executive producer, Billy Gould, best known as the bassist of Faith No More will be in attendance.

Director's Statement

From 2009, when I first met the band members of District Unknown, until the day they split up and subsequently left their home country Afghanistan, I was by their side. I was there not only to document the events, but also as a mentor and friend.

Category: Documentary, Award Winner.
Themes: Music, Culture, World Cinema, Human Spirit.

More in Documentary

  • Resonancia

    Resonancia

    Ted Nash
    2026, 38 min.

    In the heart of Havana, Grammy-winning composer Ted Nash invites young Cuban musicians to find inspiration in the colors and forms of a museum’s... more ›

  • The Last Picture Shows

    The Last Picture Shows

    Rustin Thompson
    United States, 2026, 78 min.

    Filmmaker Rustin Thompson journeys into the American West on a search for traces of what was once a center of small-town life: the movie theater. On the trip,... more ›

  • Still Standing

    Still Standing

    Victor Tadashi Suarez
    United States, 2026, 10 min.

    After the Los Angeles wildfires leave thousands of homes contaminated with toxic ash, residents face an impossible choice: should they risk their health to... more ›