Tweet
Risking his life in Afghanistan - in the name of art: The only Western couple living in Jalalabad are inspiring locals by helping them become filmmakers
George Gittoes, 65, set up the Yellow House in Jalalabad three years ago
Arts collective encourages young Afghans to become 'artists not soldiers'
Films are distributed by ice cream vendors as videos shops were blown up
50 Afghans are now learning how to edit films in underground editing suite
By EMILY CRANE
PUBLISHED: 06:30, 2 June 2014 | UPDATED: 06:35, 2 June 2014
A Sydney man has been risking his life living in Afghanistan in a bid to ease unrest in the war torn country – and it is all in the name of art.
George Gittoes, 65, moved to Jalalabad three years ago to create an arts collective known as the Yellow House in a region where the Taliban are known for targeting artists, filmmakers and musicians.
He is currently teaching 50 young Afghans how to edit and shoot films that can 'bring an end to war' by encouraging them to become 'artists and not soldiers'.
George Gittoes, 65, moved to Jalalabad in Afghanistan three years ago to create an arts collective known as the Yellow House
'While we've made a lot of Pashtun films out of the Yellow House we've had a lot of problems with distribution – all the video shops have been bombed and women aren't allowed to buy them,' he told MailOnline.
'So we have now teamed up with ice cream sellers. They go from door to door selling ice cream and DVDs. We're in the entertainment/confectionary business in Jalalabad.'
Mr Gittoes and his partner Hellen Rose, originally from Rockdale in Sydney, set up the Yellow House in 2011 and are the only known foreigners living in the Pashtun dominated city.
He is currently teaching 50 young Afghans how to edit and shoot films and they distribute them through local ice cream vendours
He is currently teaching 50 young Afghans how to edit and shoot films and they distribute them through local ice cream vendours
'We've never had any threats against us, which is pretty remarkable,' he said.
'When I was moving there, the embassies said “George you can't go and do a film project, you'll be kidnapped” but that just wasn't true.'
Despite being a westerner promoting art and film, Mr Gittoes said he hasn't been given a tough time by the Afghan Taliban.
'We haven't had a single bad thing happen – we've never been attacked, slandered or given a hard time by the Taliban contrary to the way people would think it would go,' he said.
'We wear local clothes and speak the language. We've conformed to their rules - Hellen has to wear a burqa when we go out even though she hates it.
'We've driven through some of the worst gun battles and been lucky to survive but when we're in the Yellow House it's beautiful.'
Mr Gittoes and his partner Hellen Rose set up the Yellow House in 2011 and are the only known foreigners living in the Pashtun dominated city
Mr Gittoes and his partner Hellen Rose set up the Yellow House in 2011 and are the only known foreigners living in the Pashtun dominated city
The filmmaker has been documenting wars for three decades and originally set up the Yellow House in Kings Cross in the 1970s
The filmmaker has been documenting wars for three decades and originally set up the Yellow House in Kings Cross in the 1970s
The Yellow House now features an underground bunker for film editing, two stages, a cinema, accommodation for artists, a female quarter and a café.
'We've got peacocks and monkeys. We've also got a spare plot at the back of the Yellow House and everyone comes and plays cricket every afternoon,' he said.
'We've got very powerful internet connection. No one in the Yellow House had heard of Facebook and now they've all got their own. Yellow House is the only place they can connect. It's one of the most important things of all to them.'
But when Mr Gittoes first arrived in Jalalabad to set up the project he said they were an unknown and scary commodity.
'Now on a grassroots level the whole city supports it. The Afghan Taliban has even given their blessing, the threat we have is from the Pakistan Taliban,' he said.
The Yellow House now features an underground bunker for film editing, two stages, a cinema, accommodation for artists, a female quarter and a café
The filmmaker has been documenting wars for three decades and originally set up the Yellow House in Kings Cross in the 1970s.
'People have asked why I don't have post traumatic stress. Soldiers come back with post traumatic stress but as an artist I've come back fulfilled,' he said.
'You can experience that horror but if you're helping others you can still create something beautiful and not be damaged.'
The Yellow House costs $100,000 to run each year and is funded solely by Mr Gittoes. He travels back to Sydney to sell artwork he creates in Afghanistan.
When Mr Gittoes first arrived in Jalalabad to set up the Yellow House he said they were an unknown and scary commodity
George says the whole Jalalabad community now support for the Yellow House
Each time he returns he brings some of the Yellow House artists and filmmakers.
'I'm trying to gradually take the most talented people from the Yellow House to share these experiences and it's enormously important for them,' he said.
'Our films are extremely feminist so our target audience is mainly women and girls – the films feature them in positive roles. So when they come to Sydney they get to see a society where women are actually free and liberated.'
Mr Gittoes' current exhibition I Witness is running at Hazelhurst Regional
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz33YzgZMqg
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
George Gittoes, 65, set up the Yellow House in Jalalabad three years ago
Arts collective encourages young Afghans to become 'artists not soldiers'
Films are distributed by ice cream vendors as videos shops were blown up
50 Afghans are now learning how to edit films in underground editing suite
By EMILY CRANE
PUBLISHED: 06:30, 2 June 2014 | UPDATED: 06:35, 2 June 2014
A Sydney man has been risking his life living in Afghanistan in a bid to ease unrest in the war torn country – and it is all in the name of art.
George Gittoes, 65, moved to Jalalabad three years ago to create an arts collective known as the Yellow House in a region where the Taliban are known for targeting artists, filmmakers and musicians.
He is currently teaching 50 young Afghans how to edit and shoot films that can 'bring an end to war' by encouraging them to become 'artists and not soldiers'.
George Gittoes, 65, moved to Jalalabad in Afghanistan three years ago to create an arts collective known as the Yellow House
'While we've made a lot of Pashtun films out of the Yellow House we've had a lot of problems with distribution – all the video shops have been bombed and women aren't allowed to buy them,' he told MailOnline.
'So we have now teamed up with ice cream sellers. They go from door to door selling ice cream and DVDs. We're in the entertainment/confectionary business in Jalalabad.'
Mr Gittoes and his partner Hellen Rose, originally from Rockdale in Sydney, set up the Yellow House in 2011 and are the only known foreigners living in the Pashtun dominated city.
He is currently teaching 50 young Afghans how to edit and shoot films and they distribute them through local ice cream vendours
He is currently teaching 50 young Afghans how to edit and shoot films and they distribute them through local ice cream vendours
'We've never had any threats against us, which is pretty remarkable,' he said.
'When I was moving there, the embassies said “George you can't go and do a film project, you'll be kidnapped” but that just wasn't true.'
Despite being a westerner promoting art and film, Mr Gittoes said he hasn't been given a tough time by the Afghan Taliban.
'We haven't had a single bad thing happen – we've never been attacked, slandered or given a hard time by the Taliban contrary to the way people would think it would go,' he said.
'We wear local clothes and speak the language. We've conformed to their rules - Hellen has to wear a burqa when we go out even though she hates it.
'We've driven through some of the worst gun battles and been lucky to survive but when we're in the Yellow House it's beautiful.'
Mr Gittoes and his partner Hellen Rose set up the Yellow House in 2011 and are the only known foreigners living in the Pashtun dominated city
Mr Gittoes and his partner Hellen Rose set up the Yellow House in 2011 and are the only known foreigners living in the Pashtun dominated city
The filmmaker has been documenting wars for three decades and originally set up the Yellow House in Kings Cross in the 1970s
The filmmaker has been documenting wars for three decades and originally set up the Yellow House in Kings Cross in the 1970s
The Yellow House now features an underground bunker for film editing, two stages, a cinema, accommodation for artists, a female quarter and a café.
'We've got peacocks and monkeys. We've also got a spare plot at the back of the Yellow House and everyone comes and plays cricket every afternoon,' he said.
'We've got very powerful internet connection. No one in the Yellow House had heard of Facebook and now they've all got their own. Yellow House is the only place they can connect. It's one of the most important things of all to them.'
But when Mr Gittoes first arrived in Jalalabad to set up the project he said they were an unknown and scary commodity.
'Now on a grassroots level the whole city supports it. The Afghan Taliban has even given their blessing, the threat we have is from the Pakistan Taliban,' he said.
The Yellow House now features an underground bunker for film editing, two stages, a cinema, accommodation for artists, a female quarter and a café
The filmmaker has been documenting wars for three decades and originally set up the Yellow House in Kings Cross in the 1970s.
'People have asked why I don't have post traumatic stress. Soldiers come back with post traumatic stress but as an artist I've come back fulfilled,' he said.
'You can experience that horror but if you're helping others you can still create something beautiful and not be damaged.'
The Yellow House costs $100,000 to run each year and is funded solely by Mr Gittoes. He travels back to Sydney to sell artwork he creates in Afghanistan.
When Mr Gittoes first arrived in Jalalabad to set up the Yellow House he said they were an unknown and scary commodity
George says the whole Jalalabad community now support for the Yellow House
Each time he returns he brings some of the Yellow House artists and filmmakers.
'I'm trying to gradually take the most talented people from the Yellow House to share these experiences and it's enormously important for them,' he said.
'Our films are extremely feminist so our target audience is mainly women and girls – the films feature them in positive roles. So when they come to Sydney they get to see a society where women are actually free and liberated.'
Mr Gittoes' current exhibition I Witness is running at Hazelhurst Regional
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz33YzgZMqg
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Comment