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By Madeleine Murray

A FASCINATING film about an Afghan migrant’s discovery of the Australian desert and the cameleers’ descendants is coming to The Regent on Tuesday, June 6.

Watandar follows Muzafar Ali, a Hazara photographer from Afghanistan who grew up in Pakistan as a refugee and was resettled in Australia in 2015.

When he discovered that Afghans came here as cameleers 160 years ago, Muzafar set out to photograph and document the stories of their descendants. A film crew followed him on his journey.

“I learned about their perseverance and positivity, and the power of the culture and tradition they uphold,” Muzafar told The Weekly.

“They carry their traditions with such pride and they transfer it to the next generation. I think this is the spirit of modern diverse Australia.”

Muzafar became an advocate for the people he met.

“The cameleer heritage needs support,” he said. “There is no attention by the government to preserve this important part of Australian history. The cameleers married Indigenous women and their influence throughout Australia is immense.”

During the filming in the desert, the Taliban took over Afghanistan, and Muzafar tried to help and comfort his friends back home who were facing danger and even death. So the film crew captured this story, adding another layer to Watandar.

“The story resonates with so much that is