In Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, childhood ends abruptly. At fourteen, play gives way to silence, duty, and constraint.
For twelve-year-olds Zahra and Zalgai, a children’s circus in Kabul offers a fleeting space of laughter, friendship, and bold dreams in a world
already closing in. At twelve, they are mischievous and full of imagination; by fourteen, their futures are reshaped by forces far beyond their control.
Zahra, spirited and determined, knows that school and freedom will soon be taken from her simply because she is a girl. Zalgai, stepping up
as his father falls ill, must balance his own ambitions with the heavy expectations of family responsibility.
Filmed over two transformative years, If Luck Will Come captures this fragile passage from childhood to adulthood under Taliban rule.
As responsibility looms, the circus becomes their last act of defiance. Through Zahra and Zalgai’s stories, the film reveals both the
beauty and heartbreak of Afghan youth — where resilience and hope persist even as childhood is cut short.
In a country where filming is increasingly restricted and internet access is being shut down to prevent any contact with the
outside world, the film becomes a rare witness, offering testimony to lives the world is prevented from seeing.
It proves that, even when silenced, the voices of Afghan children endure.
For twelve-year-olds Zahra and Zalgai, a children’s circus in Kabul offers a fleeting space of laughter, friendship, and bold dreams in a world
already closing in. At twelve, they are mischievous and full of imagination; by fourteen, their futures are reshaped by forces far beyond their control.
Zahra, spirited and determined, knows that school and freedom will soon be taken from her simply because she is a girl. Zalgai, stepping up
as his father falls ill, must balance his own ambitions with the heavy expectations of family responsibility.
Filmed over two transformative years, If Luck Will Come captures this fragile passage from childhood to adulthood under Taliban rule.
As responsibility looms, the circus becomes their last act of defiance. Through Zahra and Zalgai’s stories, the film reveals both the
beauty and heartbreak of Afghan youth — where resilience and hope persist even as childhood is cut short.
In a country where filming is increasingly restricted and internet access is being shut down to prevent any contact with the
outside world, the film becomes a rare witness, offering testimony to lives the world is prevented from seeing.
It proves that, even when silenced, the voices of Afghan children endure.
WHAT THE CRITICS SAY
“Camille Bildsøe is one of Denmark's most exciting documentary filmmakers, and her feature directorial debut tells a powerful story of international significance.” Jacob Ludvigsen, Soundvenue
"A lovingly observant and visually powerful debut." Mads Mikkelsen, CPH:DOX
"Simply outstanding filmmaking!" Tue Steen Müller, Filmkommentaren
"Through her poetic and inquisitive If Luck Will Come, we gain an understanding of Afghanistan that the news media simply cannot provide." Per Juul Carlsen, Kristeligt Dagblad
"We are invited into bedrooms—and even into the inner lives of two young souls." Per Juul Carlsen, Kristeligt Dagblad
“"Camille Bildsøe's beautiful, observant documentary (...) a must-see eyewitness account from Afghanistan.” Nanna Frank Møller, Politiken
"The spontaneous scenes draw entirely on the emotional power of the moment." Lida Bach, Moviebreak
"A lovingly observant and visually powerful debut." Mads Mikkelsen, CPH:DOX
"Simply outstanding filmmaking!" Tue Steen Müller, Filmkommentaren
"Through her poetic and inquisitive If Luck Will Come, we gain an understanding of Afghanistan that the news media simply cannot provide." Per Juul Carlsen, Kristeligt Dagblad
"We are invited into bedrooms—and even into the inner lives of two young souls." Per Juul Carlsen, Kristeligt Dagblad
“"Camille Bildsøe's beautiful, observant documentary (...) a must-see eyewitness account from Afghanistan.” Nanna Frank Møller, Politiken
"The spontaneous scenes draw entirely on the emotional power of the moment." Lida Bach, Moviebreak
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
In August 2021, as summer rain fell in Denmark, I sat glued to the television watching the Taliban take control of Kabul. For anyone paying attention, it was clear that a dark and uncertain future lay ahead for many Afghans, especially children and women.
In 2022, exactly one year after the Taliban’s return to power, cinematographer Jonas Fogh and I arrived in Afghanistan for the first time. Armed men stood on every street corner. And yet, alongside the fear and restrictions, we encountered joy, resilience, and play.
It was there that I met Zahra and Zalgai. Both were 12 years old, both loved school, friendship, and the circus they were a part of. If Luck will Come follows them through the final years of their childhood - two children who insist on continuing to play and dream, even as their country closes in around them.
Growing up side by side, their futures nevertheless diverge sharply along gendered lines. For Zahra, turning 14 means being seen as a woman - expected to stay indoors and no longer allowed to move freely outside or attend school For Zalgai, it brings growing pressure to become strong, to provide, and to assume responsibility in a male-dominated society, especially when his father falls ill. Through their lives, the film reveals not only the constraints of Taliban rule, but also the small, everyday acts of resistance through which children hold on to joy, friendship, and imagination.
From the outset, it was crucial for me not to rush this film, even as events in Afghanistan unfolded with devastating speed. I am deeply grateful for the trust Zahra and Zalgai placed in me - a trust that demanded patience, care, and attentiveness. As a non-Afghan filmmaker, I have carried a constant awareness of my responsibility: to listen closely, to move carefully, and to acknowledge the limits of my own gaze. When everything else is stripped away, this is their story far more than it is mine. I have been equally mindful of what it means to tell a story from outside the culture it depicts. Afghan filmmakers face immense risks under Taliban rule, making it unsafe for many of them to tell these stories publicly right now. That silence is dangerous. Both for those living through it and for our collective memory.
In 2022, exactly one year after the Taliban’s return to power, cinematographer Jonas Fogh and I arrived in Afghanistan for the first time. Armed men stood on every street corner. And yet, alongside the fear and restrictions, we encountered joy, resilience, and play.
It was there that I met Zahra and Zalgai. Both were 12 years old, both loved school, friendship, and the circus they were a part of. If Luck will Come follows them through the final years of their childhood - two children who insist on continuing to play and dream, even as their country closes in around them.
Growing up side by side, their futures nevertheless diverge sharply along gendered lines. For Zahra, turning 14 means being seen as a woman - expected to stay indoors and no longer allowed to move freely outside or attend school For Zalgai, it brings growing pressure to become strong, to provide, and to assume responsibility in a male-dominated society, especially when his father falls ill. Through their lives, the film reveals not only the constraints of Taliban rule, but also the small, everyday acts of resistance through which children hold on to joy, friendship, and imagination.
From the outset, it was crucial for me not to rush this film, even as events in Afghanistan unfolded with devastating speed. I am deeply grateful for the trust Zahra and Zalgai placed in me - a trust that demanded patience, care, and attentiveness. As a non-Afghan filmmaker, I have carried a constant awareness of my responsibility: to listen closely, to move carefully, and to acknowledge the limits of my own gaze. When everything else is stripped away, this is their story far more than it is mine. I have been equally mindful of what it means to tell a story from outside the culture it depicts. Afghan filmmakers face immense risks under Taliban rule, making it unsafe for many of them to tell these stories publicly right now. That silence is dangerous. Both for those living through it and for our collective memory.
My role has therefore been to work with humility, transparency, and accountability, in close collaboration with Afghan colleagues and advisors who guided every step of the process. Their knowledge, trust, and lived experience have been essential to shaping both the film and the way it was made. It was important to me to establish an advisory board of Afghan filmmakers to help us navigate questions of security and cultural context, ensuring that we did not misunderstand, misrepresent, or place anyone at risk.
With this awareness, safety, ethics, and integrity were never compromised for participants, crew, or storytelling. I have remained conscious that my perspective is present in every frame, and that this gaze can never fully disappear. This understanding became a guiding principle of the film: a deliberate move away from the stereotypical images of Afghanistan so often reproduced in the Western imagination. I chose not to include elements simply because they might appear interesting to a Western audience, unless they were also meaningful to Zahra and Zalgai. Images of burqas, weapons, or other familiar symbols only belonged in the film if they were part of the children’s lived reality and attention. Their voices, play, and quiet acts of resistance lead the way.
At its heart, If Luck will Come is a story about two children growing up side by side and stepping into adulthood in radically different ways. It is also a story about resilience, friendship, and the refusal to be silenced.
This refusal - to accept silence or erasure - has been my guiding motivation throughout the entire process, shaping both how and why the film was made.
I am incredibly happy that If Luck will Come had its world premiere at CPH:DOX in the NEW:WAVE competition.
Four years after first meeting Zahra and Zalgai, it means so much to finally be able to share their story with an audience - and to do so at one of the world’s greatest documentary festivals.
With this awareness, safety, ethics, and integrity were never compromised for participants, crew, or storytelling. I have remained conscious that my perspective is present in every frame, and that this gaze can never fully disappear. This understanding became a guiding principle of the film: a deliberate move away from the stereotypical images of Afghanistan so often reproduced in the Western imagination. I chose not to include elements simply because they might appear interesting to a Western audience, unless they were also meaningful to Zahra and Zalgai. Images of burqas, weapons, or other familiar symbols only belonged in the film if they were part of the children’s lived reality and attention. Their voices, play, and quiet acts of resistance lead the way.
At its heart, If Luck will Come is a story about two children growing up side by side and stepping into adulthood in radically different ways. It is also a story about resilience, friendship, and the refusal to be silenced.
This refusal - to accept silence or erasure - has been my guiding motivation throughout the entire process, shaping both how and why the film was made.
I am incredibly happy that If Luck will Come had its world premiere at CPH:DOX in the NEW:WAVE competition.
Four years after first meeting Zahra and Zalgai, it means so much to finally be able to share their story with an audience - and to do so at one of the world’s greatest documentary festivals.
- Camille Bildsøe, 2026