On August 15, 2021, the Taliban regained control of Kabul, nearly 20 years after Coalition Forces had cast them out of power. The takeover sent shockwaves throughout the country and the international community. It forced thousands of Afghans to leave their old lives behind and embark on a hellish journey for survival. In this gripping, eight-episode narrative, Afghans themselves will tell you how it happened. You’ll hear how they maneuvered their way through panicked crowds; waded through sewage in a desperate attempt to get into the Kabul airport; withstood beatings and torture; and finally, if they were lucky, boarded a flight into the unknown. You’ll hear stories about big risks, close calls, and unexpected moments of kindness — or luck — that changed everything. You’ll meet Afghan women and men from different walks of life, including a young journalist just starting her career at a women’s TV station, a former CIA interpreter and father of four, a pair of newlyweds caught in the jaws of the U.S. immigration system, members of all-girls robotics and cycling teams, and even a young man who chose to fight with the Taliban — in his eyes, to protect the country he loves. Kabul Falling explores big questions: How does a war end, and who is accountable for the human wreckage left in its wake? In the face of massive systemic failures by the U.S. and Afghan governments, ordinary people did what they could to help each other survive. What they couldn’t do — and what they lived through — still haunts them. Kabul Falling grapples with the aftermath of the fall, exploring feelings of loss, abandonment, betrayal, and survivor’s guilt as Afghans work to rebuild their lives. This is the story of a home ripped apart — and of a courageous new beginning. For more, visit: https://kabulfalling.com/ ~ Kabul Falling is produced by Project Brazen, a global journalism studio based in London and Singapore investigating some of the biggest scandals and stories of our time, told without fear or favor. Stay subscribed. For ad-free listening, exclusive bonus content and early access to Project Brazen podcasts, subscribe to our channel on the Apple Podcasts app. You can try the subscription free for 7 days by going to apple.co/brazen (http://apple.co/brazen)
Spy Valley: An Engineer's Nuclear Betrayal
This week on Kabul Falling, we’re sharing a special preview of Spy Valley: An Engineer's Nuclear Betrayal. This new series uncovers Silicon Valley’s origins as a laboratory for espionage.
At the dawn of the hi-tech age, Moscow’s spies opened up shop in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. In this podcast, you’ll get to know the group of FBI spy hunters who assembled to stop them—and solve the case of a lifetime.
Hosted by national security journalist Zach Dorfman, Spy Valley will walk you through a maze of technology theft, double agents, and unbelievable events that put an American engineer at the center of it all.
There are new episodes of Spy Valley out now. To keep listening, search for Spy Valley: An Engineer's Nuclear Betrayal, wherever you get your podcasts.
To listen ad-free and get early access to new episodes, subscribe to Brazen+ in the Apple Podcasts app, or visit brazen.fm/plus to subscribe on other platforms.
8/29/2023 • 13 minutes, 4 seconds
Introducing Ritually: Exploring spirituality in a secular world
This week on Kabul Falling, we’re sharing a special preview of the first episode of Ritually, a brand new Brazen podcast exploring what spirituality looks like for our secular world.
Join journalist-turned-guinea pig Nelufar Hedayat as she tries a new ritual in every episode. From sacred readings of Harry Potter to tarot cards, Nelufar dives in with the help of a different spiritual guide each week to see if these practices can actually make us feel better. In episode one, Nelufar struggles with patriarchal interpretations of Islam and decides to enlist the help of feminist spiritual practitioner Sarah Zaltash. She tries a new ritual to deepen her connection to Islam: following the daily call to prayer. It’s a practice that unites 1.8 billion Muslims around the world. But this version is different — radical, actually! — because it’s in a woman’s voice.
There are new episodes of Ritually out now. To keep listening, search for Ritually, wherever you get your podcasts. To listen ad-free and get early access to new episodes, subscribe to Brazen+ in the Apple Podcasts app or at brazen.fm/plus.
For more, visit ritually/fm.
7/25/2023 • 37 minutes, 17 seconds
Gateway: Cocaine, Murder & Dirty Money in Europe
This week on Kabul Falling, we’re sharing a special preview of the first episode of Gateway: Cocaine, Murder & Dirty Money in Europe, Project Brazen’s podcast that takes you inside the hidden world of cocaine.
In this six-part podcast series from Project Brazen, host Mitchell Prothero explores Europe’s cocaine crisis through the dramatic stories of cartel leaders, cops, journalists, and the victims caught in the middle. From RPG attacks on newspaper offices to the slaughter of entire families, the war on drugs has arrived on Europe’s shores. And a lot of people are making a lot of dirty money. Reporting from Antwerp and Amsterdam, Project Brazen goes deep inside this crazy under-reported story.
There are new episodes of Gateway out now. To keep listening, search for Gateway: Cocaine, Murder & Dirty Money in Europe, wherever you get your podcasts. To listen ad-free and get early access to new episodes, subscribe to Brazen+ in the Apple Podcasts app.
For more, visit brazen.fm/gateway.
6/22/2023 • 22 minutes, 55 seconds
Free Evan Gershkovich: How a US reporter was imprisoned in Putin's Russia
This is a special episode from Project Brazen. How did Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich end up wrongfully imprisoned in Russia, and what happens now?
On March 29, Russian authorities arrested Evan and accused him of spying on Russia on behalf of the US government. Evan was imprisoned in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, where he remains today. In this special podcast episode from Project Brazen, you’ll hear from those close to Evan — his friends, newsroom colleagues, even his former soccer coach — about his shocking arrest, efforts to bring him home, and how he became the journalist he is today.
Evan is the first American reporter to be charged with espionage in Russia since the Cold War. The charge, which The Journal vehemently denies, can carry a sentence of up to 20 years. To support the campaign for Evan’s release or send him a message of support, visit www.freegershkovich.com.
5/18/2023 • 26 minutes, 7 seconds
Introducing Dynamite Doug
This week on Kabul Falling, we’re sharing a preview of Dynamite Doug, the latest investigative podcast from Project Brazen. Hosted by Ellen Wong (of Netflix’s GLOW and Scott Pilgrim), the 6-part series delves into the alleged crimes of Douglas Latchford, an art dealer who collaborated with a genocidal regime to loot Cambodia’s entire cultural heritage. Latchford’s stolen goods remain in the New York Metropolitan Museum to this day. This is the story the art world doesn’t want told.
To keep listening, search for Dynamite Doug wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to the entire series, ad-free, by subscribing to Project Brazen on Apple Podcasts, visit apple.co/dynamitedoug
4/11/2023 • 15 minutes, 39 seconds
Refugees, art and healing with Me We International
Reporter Neha Wadekar interviews Mohsin Mohi Ud Din, leader of Me We International, an organisation that uses art to help refugees around the world heal from trauma, reframe their narratives, and author their futures.
To follow Me We International and learn more about their work, please visit www.meweintl.org. You can find them online at @meweinternational on Instagram and @meweintl on Twitter.
For ad-free listening, exclusive bonus content and early access to Project Brazen podcasts, subscribe to our channel on the Apple Podcasts app. You can try the subscription free for 7 days by going to apple.co/brazen
2/16/2023 • 18 minutes, 12 seconds
A mystery begins at the US Embassy in Havana
This is a preview of Project Brazen's latest investigative podcast, The SOUND: Mystery of Havana Syndrome. To listen to the rest of this episode, search for THE SOUND: Mystery of Havana Syndrome, wherever you get your podcasts.
In December 2016, a US official in Havana reported a debilitating and confounding illness. The symptoms included headaches; nausea; hearing loss; problems with memory and vision. Soon, a second official came down with the same symptoms. Then a third. Then a fourth. By the time the story went public in summer 2017, dozens of US diplomats, as well as some Canadians, had come down with what was becoming known as “Havana Syndrome.”
In this deep dive investigation, journalist Nicky Woolf peels back the layers of one of the most bizarre mysteries of the modern age. THE SOUND is a story about spycraft, technology, and the brain, and how the Cold War, maybe, never really ended.
New episodes will be dropping in THE SOUND feed on Mondays, so subscribe there now to make sure you don’t miss an episode.
For ad-free listening, exclusive bonus content and early access to Project Brazen podcasts, subscribe to our channel on the Apple Podcasts app. You can try the subscription free for 7 days by going to apple.co/brazen
2/14/2023 • 16 minutes, 35 seconds
Arson Fahim: Kabul Falling composer nominated for Ambie award
Project Brazen is excited to announce Arson Fahim, the composer of Kabul Falling’s main theme music, has been nominated for an Ambie award for Best Original Score and Music Supervision.
Arson Fahim is a pianist, composer, and conductor from Afghanistan, In 2021, only two weeks before the Taliban took control and once again banned music, Arson arrived in the US and started his studies at the Longy school of music, where he was awarded a scholarship.
The Podcast Academy will announce the winners at its third annual Awards for Excellence in Audio, a.k.a. The Ambies, on 7 March 2023.
For ad-free listening, exclusive bonus content and early access to Project Brazen podcasts, subscribe to our channel on the Apple Podcasts app. You can try the subscription free for 7 days by going to apple.co/brazen
