Father Upset by Rape Scene in Kite Runner

The father of an actor in a film adaptation of The Kite Runner is worried about a pivotal rape scene and wants it nixed, the BBC reports. The production features Afghans in many roles, and the boy actor's father, Ahmad Jaan, is concerned that the movie could unleash sectarian anger in Afghanistan—even violence against his family.

He says the director promised not to film the rape scene, a claim the producers deny—adding that the disputed scene is “very, very discreet.”  But the filmmakers are concerned enough that they’ve canceled the Afghani release. One analyst says that the scene "can be interpreted as a dishonor. In a tribal society, people don't distinguish between fictitious or real things." (More Afghanistan stories.)