Mahal Wak is an award-winning actress and activist. I photographed her last week, in Kabul, Afghanistan.As an actress, she loves to play roles dressed in traditional Afghan outfits. If you look at the Afghan jewelleries, dresses or carpets you would see some of the most colourful and playful motifs. That’s the real Afghan spirit, but over 40 years of war have been putting it to the test.Through her work, Mahal wants to bring that spirit back while sending some light in the bitter lives of Afghan people. In a country devastated by war, in a city were horrific bombing attacks and target killings occur every week, there are still corageous people like Mahal who chose to stay, believing in a better future and standing up for it.