my name is Carrie Regan and I was the Associate Producer for the Explorer team
Associate Producer for the Explorer team
Associate Producer for the Explorer team that went in search of the Afghan girl
that went in search of the Afghan girl
that went in search of the Afghan girl she was the subject of one of the most
she was the subject of one of the most
she was the subject of one of the most iconic National Geographic covers ever
iconic National Geographic covers ever
iconic National Geographic covers ever her eyes said so much there was so much
her eyes said so much there was so much
her eyes said so much there was so much pain that they conveyed what Steve
pain that they conveyed what Steve
pain that they conveyed what Steve McCurry took this photo back in 1984 it
McCurry took this photo back in 1984 it
McCurry took this photo back in 1984 it was a fleeting moment and then she was
was a fleeting moment and then she was
was a fleeting moment and then she was gone and he was gone I was in a refugee
gone and he was gone I was in a refugee
gone and he was gone I was in a refugee camp outside of Peshawar Pakistan one
camp outside of Peshawar Pakistan one
camp outside of Peshawar Pakistan one morning I just by chance happened to
morning I just by chance happened to
morning I just by chance happened to walk past a school I just wandered in
walk past a school I just wandered in
walk past a school I just wandered in and I saw this little girl in the corner
and I saw this little girl in the corner
and I saw this little girl in the corner of the room with these incredible
of the room with these incredible
of the room with these incredible intense eyes I don’t think I took more
intense eyes I don’t think I took more
intense eyes I don’t think I took more than five or 10 frames ended up on the
than five or 10 frames ended up on the
than five or 10 frames ended up on the cover of the National Geographic in June
cover of the National Geographic in June
cover of the National Geographic in June of 1985 and after that we had literally
of 1985 and after that we had literally
of 1985 and after that we had literally thousands of people inquiring how they
thousands of people inquiring how they
thousands of people inquiring how they can help her and who was she after 9/11
can help her and who was she after 9/11
can help her and who was she after 9/11 when Afghanistan suddenly came back in
when Afghanistan suddenly came back in
when Afghanistan suddenly came back in the news there was a renewed interest in
the news there was a renewed interest in
the news there was a renewed interest in her people always were curious what
her people always were curious what
her people always were curious what would happen to her where is she how can
would happen to her where is she how can
would happen to her where is she how can we help her so we thought it was worth
we help her so we thought it was worth
we help her so we thought it was worth trying to locate her but we we thought
trying to locate her but we we thought
trying to locate her but we we thought it would practically would take a
it would practically would take a
it would practically would take a miracle to find her we didn’t have her
miracle to find her we didn’t have her
miracle to find her we didn’t have her name we didn’t know her tribe we didn’t
name we didn’t know her tribe we didn’t
name we didn’t know her tribe we didn’t know where she lived I honestly didn’t
know where she lived I honestly didn’t
know where she lived I honestly didn’t think we were ever going to find her it
think we were ever going to find her it
think we were ever going to find her it had been 17 years people go missing
had been 17 years people go missing
had been 17 years people go missing constantly and Afghanistan what are the
constantly and Afghanistan what are the
constantly and Afghanistan what are the odds that we’re going to go and find
odds that we’re going to go and find
odds that we’re going to go and find this woman when all we have is a
this woman when all we have is a
this woman when all we have is a photograph to go on the only clue we had
photograph to go on the only clue we had
photograph to go on the only clue we had to actually try and find her was I had
to actually try and find her was I had
to actually try and find her was I had photographed her in this school and I
photographed her in this school and I
photographed her in this school and I was trying to find the teacher
was trying to find the teacher
was trying to find the teacher we send photographs to our fixer and he
we send photographs to our fixer and he
we send photographs to our fixer and he distributed them to elders in the
distributed them to elders in the
distributed them to elders in the refugee camp
refugee camp
refugee camp we took her photograph around to
we took her photograph around to
we took her photograph around to literally hundreds of people who can
literally hundreds of people who can
literally hundreds of people who can suddenly we found ourselves in the
suddenly we found ourselves in the
suddenly we found ourselves in the situation with her a lot of young Afghan
situation with her a lot of young Afghan
situation with her a lot of young Afghan women who were claiming to be the Afghan
women who were claiming to be the Afghan
women who were claiming to be the Afghan girl and a lot of them claimed to
girl and a lot of them claimed to
girl and a lot of them claimed to remember me and remember the photograph
remember me and remember the photograph
remember me and remember the photograph and it just simply wasn’t the case we
and it just simply wasn’t the case we
and it just simply wasn’t the case we looked at all the different technologies
looked at all the different technologies
looked at all the different technologies that could be used to positively
that could be used to positively
that could be used to positively identify a person we had a gentleman who
identify a person we had a gentleman who
identify a person we had a gentleman who would take sketches of children and he
would take sketches of children and he
would take sketches of children and he would age them we also used an iris scan
would age them we also used an iris scan
would age them we also used an iris scan recognition company we simply had to
recognition company we simply had to
recognition company we simply had to find the right identify the right right
find the right identify the right right
find the right identify the right right woman it was the Afghan girl when the
woman it was the Afghan girl when the
woman it was the Afghan girl when the crew first arrived and they were showing
crew first arrived and they were showing
crew first arrived and they were showing the photo around there were a couple
the photo around there were a couple
the photo around there were a couple guys who said you know we know this girl
guys who said you know we know this girl
guys who said you know we know this girl she was in the tent next to us after a
she was in the tent next to us after a
she was in the tent next to us after a couple weeks of looking for her suddenly
couple weeks of looking for her suddenly
couple weeks of looking for her suddenly we just got lucky and one man claimed to
we just got lucky and one man claimed to
we just got lucky and one man claimed to know her brother and you know I thought
know her brother and you know I thought
know her brother and you know I thought oh this is just you know a boondoggle
oh this is just you know a boondoggle
oh this is just you know a boondoggle this is going to be another false lead
this is going to be another false lead
this is going to be another false lead but her brother showed up and her
but her brother showed up and her
but her brother showed up and her brother had the same bright eyes that
brother had the same bright eyes that
brother had the same bright eyes that she did
she did
she did we got a phone call and said we have her
we got a phone call and said we have her
we got a phone call and said we have her we’re going to bring her to the village
we’re going to bring her to the village
we’re going to bring her to the village elders home the woman can go in and meet
elders home the woman can go in and meet
elders home the woman can go in and meet her I was the only woman on the crew and
her I was the only woman on the crew and
her I was the only woman on the crew and so I walked into this room and I saw her
so I walked into this room and I saw her
so I walked into this room and I saw her sitting in the back and she had her head
sitting in the back and she had her head
sitting in the back and she had her head covered with a black scarf if I had the
covered with a black scarf if I had the
covered with a black scarf if I had the photograph in my hand the original photo
photograph in my hand the original photo
photograph in my hand the original photo I was looking at it and looking at her
I was looking at it and looking at her
I was looking at it and looking at her face looking at the moles and I looked
face looking at the moles and I looked
face looking at the moles and I looked at the flecks in her eyes and they all
at the flecks in her eyes and they all
at the flecks in her eyes and they all lined up for the first time I thought oh
lined up for the first time I thought oh
lined up for the first time I thought oh my god I think we’ve actually found her
my god I think we’ve actually found her
my god I think we’ve actually found her I think this could be the Afghan girl
I think this could be the Afghan girl
I think this could be the Afghan girl and finally this anonymous girl who had
and finally this anonymous girl who had
and finally this anonymous girl who had been an icon for so long has a name
been an icon for so long has a name
been an icon for so long has a name sharbat gula to be able to produce a
sharbat gula to be able to produce a
sharbat gula to be able to produce a program that moved people that move
program that moved people that move
program that moved people that move people to come together and donate money
people to come together and donate money
people to come together and donate money over a million dollars to help build
over a million dollars to help build
over a million dollars to help build schools for young girls in Afghanistan
schools for young girls in Afghanistan
schools for young girls in Afghanistan it really was the pinnacle of my career
it really was the pinnacle of my career
it really was the pinnacle of my career with National Geographic Explorer
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