ALISHAH FARGHANG
Saturday December 12 – 17:00 Euskalduna Bilbao
Alishah Farghang will receive the 2026 WOP Mendi Film Award. Having trained abroad and enjoyed a privileged upbringing, he decided to return to his homeland, Afghanistan, out of love and a commitment to his people. He returned with a dream: to turn the mountains and skiing into a means of promoting health, leisure, happiness and gender equality in a society that was depressed and weighed down by conflict. He brought a new way of living and experiencing life to the mountains of the countryside, and through them, to the people. However, the return of the Taliban forced him to flee the country with his family after being singled out for his “revolution”. Today he is a refugee, a number, almost anonymous in Europe. He is waiting to be able to return to his homeland to continue pursuing his dream. This award aims to pay tribute to those silent heroes who, even in the face of adversity, continue to imagine a better future for their community. Because there are people who leave their mark through the peaks they reach, and others through the lives they help to uplift. Alishah Farghang undoubtedly belongs to the latter group.
