Renowned filmmaker, novelist, and Afghan expatriate Atiq Rahimi spoke at the Humanities Center at Harvard on Thursday, April 29 about the artistic fruits of his 1984 flight from Afghanistan to France. Knowing no French, Rahimi originally used film as a mode of expression. Now, over 20 documentaries (as well as some acclaimed Persian and French novels) later, Rahimi is creative adviser to Afghanistan’s foremost media group and has spearheaded an initiative to produce the nation’s first soap opera.

As Rahimi expressed, his ultimate goal is “to use television as a tool for education,” drawing upon cultural revolution to usher in political change.

Check out the Harvard Crimson’s coverage of the event here.