Draft:Fazel Jamil Hashimi
Fazel Jamil Hashimi
Fazel Jamil Hashimi (born 1990, Badakhshan, Afghanistan) is an Afghan film archivist and specialist in audiovisual and cultural heritage preservation. He is known for his role as General Manager of the Afghan Film Archive, where he led national efforts to conserve Afghanistan’s cinematic history prior to the fall of the Afghan Republic in 2021.[1] Since resettling in Germany, Hashimi has continued to work in film archiving and cultural heritage conservation across Europe.
Early life and education
Hashimi was born in Badakhshan, a mountainous province in northeastern Afghanistan. He holds two bachelor's degrees: one in Chemical Engineering from Jawzjan State University, and another in Law and Political Science from Khana-e-Danish University in Takhar Province.[2]
After relocating to Germany in 2022, he enrolled in the Conservation of Audiovisual and Photographic Cultural Heritage program at the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft (HTW) Berlin, one of the few academic programs in Europe focused on this specialization.[2]
Career in Afghanistan
Between 2018 and 2021, Hashimi served as General Manager of the Afghan Film Archive, the national institution responsible for the preservation of Afghanistan's audiovisual heritage.[3] In this capacity, he led digitization projects and coordinated with international partners to safeguard rare and fragile materials.
In the six months leading up to the return of the Taliban in 2021, he was also appointed Acting Director of the ARG Archive, the presidential archive of Afghanistan, where he oversaw emergency efforts to document, secure, and digitize historical records under increased risk.[3]
Work in Germany
Following his evacuation, Hashimi continued his professional work in exile. He currently serves part-time as a film archivist at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, where he assists in preserving medical and scientific film collections.[2]
In 2025, he joined a conservation field team led by the University of Tübingen and traveled to Romania, where he participated in the preservation of archaeological artifacts discovered in the Banat region. His role involved condition reporting, material stabilization, and archival documentation.[4]
Recognition and advocacy
Hashimi has received international recognition for his cultural heritage advocacy, particularly for archives at risk in post-conflict environments. His evacuation and resettlement were supported by international organizations such as the Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI), the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), and Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art.[1]
He has spoken at international conferences, including the "Found Futures: Voices from Exile" series, where he addressed the challenges faced by cultural workers displaced by conflict.[4]
References
- ^ a b "Afghan Film Archivists Celebrated by FIAF". FIAF. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
- ^ a b c "Afghan Film Archivists Find Sanctuary in Germany Amid Taliban Threats". World Art News. 2024-02-20. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
- ^ a b "FIAF Bulletin Online No. 27" (PDF). FIAF. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
- ^ a b "Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art: Afghan Film Archivists". Arsenal Berlin. Retrieved 2025-04-22.