Jawed Wassel

Jawed Wassel was an Afghan-American filmmaker born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1959. He lived in Pakistan, Germany, and France before moving to the United States. Wassel's career in theater began during his college years in the U.S., and he later pursued filmmaking. His most notable work, FireDancer, was the first Afghan film submitted for an Academy Award. The film was shot mainly in New York and Washington D.C., with a cast of Afghan descent. Wassel's vision was to depict the lives of Afghan immigrants in the U.S. and the challenges they face. Tragically, Wassel was murdered on October 3, 2001, by Nathan Powell over a financial dispute related to the earnings from FireDancer. His death came as a shock to the Afghan-American community, and he is remembered for his contributions to cinema and the portrayal of Afghan culture.