Khak makes a friend

Several posts have noted the importance seeing, being seen and how these notions are connected to empathy in the movie Kandahar. The movie touches upon these concepts with regard to the burqa and the beard. Early on in the movie, the protagonist’s fake husband admonishes her for being careless with her burqa, reminding her it is not an ornament. She makes it clear that she does not care what people think of her however he states that he worries for his own reputation and not hers. The protagonist in the movie is an outsider and this is perhaps one of the reasons we, as well as certain male characters in the movie, are permitted to see her face; it is I feel a constant reminder of her ‘outsider’ status. She is not from Afghanistan and will eventually go back to Canada; the rules do not apply to her with the same rigidity.

The exchange between the doctor and the protagonist is interesting because they cannot confide in each other properly until he has seen her face. The protagonist feels comfortable discarding her veil in front of the doctor because he, like her, is obviously an outsider (his accent alone is enough proof) The doctor is empathetic, advising that she get rid of Khak (her guide) and resolving to help her find her way to Kandahar. It is however easy for the doctor to be empathetic to a fellow outsider not just because he has the resources to do so but also because she is relatable.

Before Khak leaves he insists that the protagonist buy a ring off him. This particular ring is one he found on the finger of a skeleton. Khak is an Afghan boy with little money who has proved his street smarts throughout their journey, constantly demanding (and being given) money (specifically dollars!) not just for guiding our protagonist to Kandahar but also for singing (a moment of potential friendship between the two, somehow diluted because he demanded payment) Our protagonist refuses to buy the ring despite Khak’s insistence and in the end he gives it to her for free before running off. This, I feel, is a real instance of a friendship that, unlike the doctor’s and the protagonist’s, came as a surprise. Khak could of course have sold the ring to anyone else but he chose to make a gift of it to someone completely alien to him. There is a certain vulnerability in the gesture (the act of gift giving rests on the other party accepting the gift) and it is interesting to see this considerate side of Khak. Because Khak and the protagonist have little in common this gesture is ultimately a testament to a friendship formed against the odds.