Freedom's Edge - A Photographer's Nightmare Journey and Imprisonment in Afghaniston
In 1978, 24-year-old Victoria Ginn travelled to Afghanistan to photograph wild places and the people who live there. In May, the government was deposed in a coup, the precursor to a Soviet invasion and the ongoing war that has all but destroyed that magnificent country. Political intrigue built quickly to war as Ginn became embroiled in a personal hell. Tricked by lecherous officials, accused of smuggling hashish, her cameras stolen, Ginn was thrown into prison for one night. Weeks went by and there, among her fellow women prisoners, this ingenuous New Zealander recognized the powerlessness of her sex and her individuality. Released under hotel arrest to pursue her case, Ginn's freedom was short-lived as the country disintegrated into war. Thrown back into prison, she was armed this time with an ally - the aristocratic Assilan - and a camera. This is the true story of a young woman's torturous journey through a harsh, alien culture, illustrated by images of the Afghani people and photographs of the women who shared her captivity...