Synopsis

Riders on the Storm captures a pivotal moment in Afghan history and offers a rare and visceral look at a ruthless sports culture where champions become marked men.

Khaiber Akbarzada is on the verge of being hailed as Afghanistan’s best player of buzkashi, the ancient national sport where horsemen battle for control of a headless goat. To many, the violence and opportunism on display in the arena are a metaphor for the country’s anything-goes politics - and the line between war and sport is starting to blur.

As US forces begin their withdrawal, ending the longest war in American history, the Taliban is gaining ground. Twenty-five-year-old Khaiber achieves his goal of winning the national tournament and being named top rider in the land, but soon learns that fame is both a gift and a curse. As militants take over the country, they are targeting influential figures, forcing Khaiber to go into hiding to avoid the same fate as his uncle, a legendary buzkashi star who was assassinated during the civil war. Ultimately, Khaiber must make a choice that will alter the course of his life.

Biographies

Jason Motlagh

Director

Jason Motlagh is an Iranian-American filmmaker and journalist drawn to undereported stories in challenging environments, with a focus on conflict, migration and human rights. He started reporting from Afghanistan in 2006 and became TIME magazine’s Kabul correspondent. Now a contributing editor at Rolling Stone, he's worked in more than 60 countries spanning Southeast Asia to Latin America for National Geographic, Outside, The Washington Post, The Guardian and The Economist.

As founder of Blackbeard Media, Jason produces, directs and hosts news documentaries for Al Jazeera English, National Geographic, Vice on Showtime, and others. His recognitions include a National Magazine Award, Overseas Press Club Award, Kurt Schork Award for international war reporting, Daniel Pearl Award, and an Emmy. He lives in Baja, Mexico, with his wife, two sons and three horses.

Mark Oltmanns

Director

Mark Oltmanns is an award-winning director and cinematographer who specializes in observational documentary film. He was co-director of photography on the acclaimed Netflix docuseries Flint Town and has directed more than ten, hour-long documentaries for broadcast on topics ranging from opioids in the Midwest and coal mining in Appalachia, to cross border migration in the Sun Belt.

Mark received a Master’s Degree from the UC-Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. He’s worked in more than 20 countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, France, Burma and Thailand. His work has been featured on Netflix, HBO, PBS, MSNBC, FOX SPORTS and VICE, among others. He lives with his wife and two children in Northern California.

Director's Statement

Filmed over two years against a backdrop of spiraling violence that spans the war’s frontlines and urban centers, this film is the culmination of my relationship with Afghanistan which began more than 15 years ago.

Buzkashi has been part of the Afghan experience for as far back as anyone can remember. Believed to have originated in the era when Genghis Khan and his mounted hordes reigned over the Central Asian steppe, the game has endured centuries of conflict to become a cultural touchstone and national sport that brings together Afghanistan’s fractious ethnic groups in a ritual celebration of skill and valor.

I first encountered buzkashi when I began reporting in Afghanistan in 2006. At that time, international media attention was focused on the war in Iraq. But widespread government corruption, neglect and gathering civilian deaths from raids and airstrikes fueled a dramatic Taliban resurgence, and Afghanistan once again became the center of global attention. News coverage was laden with military jargon and statistics on the latest bombing casualties, while the war’s impact on the rich cultural traditions that sustained Afghans largely went ignored.

In the hinterlands, buzkashi was having a renaissance. Afghan horse stocks decimated by the Soviet-Afghan war and the civil war were replenished by powerful warlords who were able to siphon off millions in foreign aid. Imported stallions, bigger prizes, and the prospect of fame and sponsorship stoked intense competition. Young riders of humble origin could now support their families and build superstar reputations that transcended tribal politics.

In late 2021, with the US withdrawing its forces and the Taliban gaining ground, we returned to make an immersive, observational film that captures buzkashi in all its raw intensity. Tracking the lives of Khaiber Akbarzada and his older brother Gulbuddin as they vie for glory in arenas around the country, the wargame they love is soon overshadowed by armed factions battling for control of their homeland. Our film takes a hard turn from a celebration of legacy and tradition against a backdrop of conflict, to a flight for survival with life-and-death stakes.

It is also a time capsule of an Afghanistan that no longer exists. Spanning the chaotic final year of the US-backed government, the Taliban takeover and the first months of their second coming, the film chronicles the difficult and, at times, terrifying transition from guerilla warfare to hardline governance. Before the fall, billboards advertised an aspirational life of luxury, pop songs featuring women vocalists blasted through car speakers, and buzkashi matches were a vibrant affirmation of life as much as sport. Those days are long gone.

Riders on the Storm is an intimate portrait of a perennially troubled land and a robust people. During a year of staggering highs and lows, we take viewers inside a rarely seen subculture that is at turns fierce and brutal, but also graceful and humane; where the relentless power of horses and the brave men who ride them inspire hope and awe among a war-weary population. In doing so, we offer a fresh view of Afghanistan that cuts through the fog of gloom and doom.

—Jason Motlagh, Director

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