The world's focus has shifted to the war in Ukraine, but two major new documentaries aim to throw the spotlight back on Afghanistan, and the people left behind by the United States' rapid withdrawal last year.

National Geographic's 'Retrograde'&nbsp;follows an Afghan general who tried in vain to hold back the Taliban advance in 2021, while Netflix's 'In Her Hands'&nbsp;tells the story of the country's youngest woman mayor, who had to flee as the Islamists took over.

"We've forgotten about this story -- when was the last time we discussed the war in Afghanistan, or read an article about it?" said "Retrograde" director Matthew Heineman.&nbsp;

"Obviously there's still some coverage of it, but... not that many people are talking about this country that we left behind."

Zarifa Ghafari, the former mayor spotlighted by "In Her Hands," told AFP that back under the Taliban, Afghanistan is "the only country around the world nowadays where a woman can sell their body, their children, anything else, but are not able to go to school."

But at international political meetings, "Afghanistan is out of those discussions."

Both movies begin in the months before the US withdrawal, as their subjects tried to build a safer and more egalitarian future for their country.

The two films end with their central characters forced to watch from abroad as the Taliban rapidly erases all their work.

"Retrograde" began as a documentary with rare inside access to US special forces.

In one early scene, US troops are shown having to destroy -- or retrograde -- their equipment and wastefully fire off excess ammunition that was sorely needed by their Afghan allies.

After the Americans left their base in Helmand, Afghan general Sami Sadat agreed to let Heineman's cameras stay and follow him, as he took charge of the ultimately doomed effort to stave off Taliban advances.

In one scene, Sadat -- stubbornly determined to rally his men to fight on as the situation crumbles around them -- chides his aide for bringing to his war office persistent reports of nearby Afghan troops downing their weapons.

"Every neon sign was saying 'stop, give up, this is over,' and he had this blind faith that maybe, just maybe, if he held on to Lashkar Gah or Helmand, that they could beat back the Taliban," recalled Heineman.&nbsp;

Sadat eventually had to flee, and the filmmakers shifted their lens again, to desperate scenes at Kabul airport as Afghans fought for spaces on the last American planes out.

"It was one of the most difficult things I've ever witnessed in my career," added Heineman, who was nominated for an Oscar for 2015's "Cartel Land."

"Discussions around wars in public policy and foreign policy, they're often talked about and discussed without the human element," said the director.

"One of the things I've tried to do throughout my career is take these large, amorphous subjects and put a human face to them."

- 'Murder' -

Former mayor Ghafari had survived assassination attempts and seen her father gunned down by the Taliban before she too left Afghanistan as the Islamists moved in.&nbsp;

"Talking about that moment, I'm still not able to stop crying... it was something that I really never wanted to do," said Ghafari, who drew the Taliban's ire by campaigning for girls' education after being appointed mayor of Maidan Shahr aged 24.

"I had some personal responsibilities, especially after the murder of my dad... to help secure my family."

The directors of "In Her Hands," which counts Hillary Clinton among its executive producers, returned to Afghanistan and filmed Ghafari's former driver Massoum, now unemployed and living under the Taliban.

In unsettling scenes, he is seen bonding with the same fighters who once attacked the car in which he was driving Ghafari.

"The story of Massoum represents the story of all Afghanistan's crisis... why people are feeling betrayed," said Ghafari.

- 'Share their pain' -

Though the conflicts in Afghanistan and Ukraine are vastly different in nature, both films offer a cautionary tale about what can happen once the West's focus shifts.

"Obviously, that's happened throughout history, and will continue to happen long into the future. And so what can we learn from this experience?" said Heineman.

Ghafari said: "Whatever happens in Ukraine and happened in Ukraine, it's the same thing that we have been going through for like 60 years.

"The same thing, again and again. So we share their pain."

The world's focus has shifted to the war in Ukraine, but two major new documentaries aim to throw the spotlight back on Afghanistan, and the people left behind by the United States' rapid withdrawal last year.

The world's focus has shifted to the war in Ukraine, but two major new documentaries aim to throw the spotlight back on Afghanistan, and the people left behind by the United States' rapid withdrawal last year. National Geographic's 'Retrograde' follows an Afghan general who tried in vain to hold back the Taliban advance in 2021, while Netflix's 'In Her Hands' tells the story of the country's youngest woman mayor, who had to flee as the Islamists took over. "We've forgotten about this story -- when was the last time we discussed the war in Afghanistan, or read an article about it?" said "Retrograde" director Matthew Heineman. "Obviously there's still some coverage of it, but... not that many people are talking about this country that we left behind." Zarifa Ghafari, the former mayor spotlighted by "In Her Hands," told AFP that back under the Taliban, Afghanistan is "the only country around the world nowadays where a woman can sell their body, their children, anything else, but are not able to go to school." But at international political meetings, "Afghanistan is out of those discussions." Both movies begin in the months before the US withdrawal, as their subjects tried to build a safer and more egalitarian future for their country. The two films end with their central characters forced to watch from abroad as the Taliban rapidly erases all their work. "Retrograde" began as a documentary with rare inside access to US special forces. In one early scene, US troops are shown having to destroy -- or retrograde -- their equipment and wastefully fire off excess ammunition that was sorely needed by their Afghan allies. After the Americans left their base in Helmand, Afghan general Sami Sadat agreed to let Heineman's cameras stay and follow him, as he took charge of the ultimately doomed effort to stave off Taliban advances. In one scene, Sadat -- stubbornly determined to rally his men to fight on as the situation crumbles around them -- chides his aide for bringing to his war office persistent reports of nearby Afghan troops downing their weapons. "Every neon sign was saying 'stop, give up, this is over,' and he had this blind faith that maybe, just maybe, if he held on to Lashkar Gah or Helmand, that they could beat back the Taliban," recalled Heineman. Sadat eventually had to flee, and the filmmakers shifted their lens again, to desperate scenes at Kabul airport as Afghans fought for spaces on the last American planes out. "It was one of the most difficult things I've ever witnessed in my career," added Heineman, who was nominated for an Oscar for 2015's "Cartel Land." "Discussions around wars in public policy and foreign policy, they're often talked about and discussed without the human element," said the director. "One of the things I've tried to do throughout my career is take these large, amorphous subjects and put a human face to them." - 'Murder' - Former mayor Ghafari had survived assassination attempts and seen her father gunned down by the Taliban before she too left Afghanistan as the Islamists moved in. "Talking about that moment, I'm still not able to stop crying... it was something that I really never wanted to do," said Ghafari, who drew the Taliban's ire by campaigning for girls' education after being appointed mayor of Maidan Shahr aged 24. "I had some personal responsibilities, especially after the murder of my dad... to help secure my family." The directors of "In Her Hands," which counts Hillary Clinton among its executive producers, returned to Afghanistan and filmed Ghafari's former driver Massoum, now unemployed and living under the Taliban. In unsettling scenes, he is seen bonding with the same fighters who once attacked the car in which he was driving Ghafari. "The story of Massoum represents the story of all Afghanistan's crisis... why people are feeling betrayed," said Ghafari. - 'Share their pain' - Though the conflicts in Afghanistan and Ukraine are vastly different in nature, both films offer a cautionary tale about what can happen once the West's focus shifts. "Obviously, that's happened throughout history, and will continue to happen long into the future. And so what can we learn from this experience?" said Heineman. Ghafari said: "Whatever happens in Ukraine and happened in Ukraine, it's the same thing that we have been going through for like 60 years. "The same thing, again and again. So we share their pain."

'Forgotten' Afghan stories highlighted in two new films from Netflix, Nat Geo

Spanish-language television giants Televisa of Mexico and Univision of the United States are joining forces to compete with Netflix and Amazon in&nbsp;the booming market for digital streaming.

The two firms will combine their content and form a new company called Televisa-Univision that will be "the biggest and most relevant Spanish-language media group in the world," a Televisa statement said.

Televisa said that it would receive $4.8 billion -- $3.0 billion in cash and most of the remainder in Univision shares -- in return for contributing its content assets.

The Mexican group will be the top shareholder in the new company with a stake of 45 percent under the deal, which covers broadcast, subscription, digital and live television. The tie-up is backed by Japanese investment giant SoftBank, US technology titan Google and investment bank The Raine Group.

The new company is expected to launch a global streaming platform in early 2022 to meet the growing demand for content from the estimated 600 million Spanish speakers in the world, the statement said.

Mexico, home to 126 million people, is the most populous Spanish-language market, it noted. Televisa distributes its content through broadcast channels in over 70 countries.

It will contribute its four free-to-air channels, 27 pay-TV networks channels and stations, its Videocine movie studio and Blim TV subscription video on demand service to the new company.

Univision is the leading Spanish-language content and media company in the United States, where it owns numerous broadcast and cable networks as well as television and radio stations, the statement added.

'Significant market opportunity' -

"This transformative combination brings together the leading network serving US Spanish-language audiences with the leading media platform in Mexico powered by the most powerful Spanish-language content engine in the world," said Univision chief executive Wade Davis.

"Televisa-Univision will emerge as the leading global Spanish-language multi-media company, uniquely positioned to capture the significant market opportunity for Spanish speakers worldwide."

Less than 10 percent of the Spanish-speaking population uses a streaming service, compared with nearly 70 percent in the English-language market, offering significant room for growth, the statement said.

"Together, Televisa-Univision can more aggressively pursue innovation and growth through digital platforms as the industry continues to evolve," said Televisa executive chairman Emilio Azcarraga.&nbsp;

But Claudia Benassini, a research professor at Mexico's La Salle University, said the new company would struggle to compete with Netflix, Amazon and Disney unless it makes major investments to improve its content.

"The telenovelas (soap operas) that were once the big strength of Televisa now leave a lot to be desired. They're very low quality content," she said.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador welcomed the deal, including the announcement that&nbsp;Televisa would be the biggest stakeholder in the new company.

He said that Mexico would receive "several billion pesos" in taxes from the deal. "I only asked them to give their word that ... xenophobia and discrimination are not allowed and that the dignity of Mexicans is respected" in their television content, the left-wing populist told reporters.

The two companies, partners for more than six decades, recently created a subscription television channel called TUDN specializing in sports.

The new giant, which will be led by Univision CEO Davis, will have estimated combined sales of around $4.0 billion, Televisa said.

Spanish-language television giants Televisa of Mexico and Univision of the United States are joining forces to compete with Netflix and Amazon in the booming market for digital streaming.

Spanish-language television giants Televisa of Mexico and Univision of the United States are joining forces to compete with Netflix and Amazon in the booming market for digital streaming. The two firms will combine their content and form a new company called Televisa-Univision that will be "the biggest and most relevant Spanish-language media group in the world," a Televisa statement said. Televisa said that it would receive $4.8 billion -- $3.0 billion in cash and most of the remainder in Univision shares -- in return for contributing its content assets. The Mexican group will be the top shareholder in the new company with a stake of 45 percent under the deal, which covers broadcast, subscription, digital and live television. The tie-up is backed by Japanese investment giant SoftBank, US technology titan Google and investment bank The Raine Group. The new company is expected to launch a global streaming platform in early 2022 to meet the growing demand for content from the estimated 600 million Spanish speakers in the world, the statement said. Mexico, home to 126 million people, is the most populous Spanish-language market, it noted. Televisa distributes its content through broadcast channels in over 70 countries. It will contribute its four free-to-air channels, 27 pay-TV networks channels and stations, its Videocine movie studio and Blim TV subscription video on demand service to the new company. Univision is the leading Spanish-language content and media company in the United States, where it owns numerous broadcast and cable networks as well as television and radio stations, the statement added. 'Significant market opportunity' - "This transformative combination brings together the leading network serving US Spanish-language audiences with the leading media platform in Mexico powered by the most powerful Spanish-language content engine in the world," said Univision chief executive Wade Davis. "Televisa-Univision will emerge as the leading global Spanish-language multi-media company, uniquely positioned to capture the significant market opportunity for Spanish speakers worldwide." Less than 10 percent of the Spanish-speaking population uses a streaming service, compared with nearly 70 percent in the English-language market, offering significant room for growth, the statement said. "Together, Televisa-Univision can more aggressively pursue innovation and growth through digital platforms as the industry continues to evolve," said Televisa executive chairman Emilio Azcarraga. But Claudia Benassini, a research professor at Mexico's La Salle University, said the new company would struggle to compete with Netflix, Amazon and Disney unless it makes major investments to improve its content. "The telenovelas (soap operas) that were once the big strength of Televisa now leave a lot to be desired. They're very low quality content," she said. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador welcomed the deal, including the announcement that Televisa would be the biggest stakeholder in the new company. He said that Mexico would receive "several billion pesos" in taxes from the deal. "I only asked them to give their word that ... xenophobia and discrimination are not allowed and that the dignity of Mexicans is respected" in their television content, the left-wing populist told reporters. The two companies, partners for more than six decades, recently created a subscription television channel called TUDN specializing in sports. The new giant, which will be led by Univision CEO Davis, will have estimated combined sales of around $4.0 billion, Televisa said.

Spanish-language TV giants team up to take on Netflix

The 'Knives Out' world is expanding. 
 
The 2019 Oscar-nominated movie is getting not one but two sequels, and this time for Netflix. As per reports, the streaming giant has cracked a deal&nbsp;for two follow-ups of the 2019 hit, 'Knives Out 2' and 'Knives Out 3', for &nbsp;$450 million, which is reportedly one of the biggest streamer movie deals in history.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/how-sound-of-metal-star-paul-raci-went-from-day-jobs-to-oscar-nominee-374771" hreflang="en">How ‘Sound of Metal’ star Paul Raci went from day jobs to Oscar nominee</a> 
 
The immediate sequel will see&nbsp;Rian Johnson again donning the hat of director and writer, with James Bond star Daniel Craig, who to reprise his role as detective Benoit Blanc. The news of a sequel was already circulating in 2020 after Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood-news-knives-out-2-rian-johnsons-massively-successful-murder-mystery-to-get-a-sequel-279229">confirmed</a> the studio is officially moving forward with one. 
 
The mystery film follows the story of a master detective investigating the death of the patriarch of a wealthy, dysfunctional family. The film features an ensemble cast of Christopher Plummer, Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Chris Evans and others. 
 
'Knives Out' was a huge hit and grossed over $311.4 million in worldwide ticket sales and also landed Johnson a 2021 Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay.

The 'Knives Out' world is expanding. The 2019 Oscar-nominated movie is getting not one but two sequels, and this time for Netflix. As per reports, the streaming giant has cracked a deal for two follow-ups of the 2019 hit, 'Knives Out 2' and 'Knives Out 3', for $450 million, which is reportedly one of the biggest streamer movie deals in history.

The 'Knives Out' world is expanding. The 2019 Oscar-nominated movie is getting not one but two sequels, and this time for Netflix. As per reports, the streaming giant has cracked a deal for two follow-ups of the 2019 hit, 'Knives Out 2' and 'Knives Out 3', for $450 million, which is reportedly one of the biggest streamer movie deals in history. How ‘Sound of Metal’ star Paul Raci went from day jobs to Oscar nominee The immediate sequel will see Rian Johnson again donning the hat of director and writer, with James Bond star Daniel Craig, who to reprise his role as detective Benoit Blanc. The news of a sequel was already circulating in 2020 after Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer confirmed the studio is officially moving forward with one. The mystery film follows the story of a master detective investigating the death of the patriarch of a wealthy, dysfunctional family. The film features an ensemble cast of Christopher Plummer, Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Chris Evans and others. 'Knives Out' was a huge hit and grossed over $311.4 million in worldwide ticket sales and also landed Johnson a 2021 Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay.

Netflix buys 'Knives Out' sequels for this huge amount, Daniel Craig to return

'Mirzapur S2' or 'A Suitable Boy': Which series will you binge-watch this weekend?

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