The Theft (2026)
Main title card, opening credits, lower-thirds, marble slab cards, timeline, end crawl design, and poster design for Aisha Jamal’s documentary film about ancient artifacts stolen from Afghanistan
The title logo had to perform double duty, articulating the film’s name in both English and Dari.
Poster design
“The Theft traces a set of ancient, treasured artifacts stolen from Afghanistan that have, in some cases, ended up in the hands of Western museums.
The feature-length documentary delves into the tangled relationship between museums and conflict, revealing how the preservation of culture can often come at the cost of justice.”
—
Directed by Aisha Jamal
Produced by Storyline Entertainment, TVO, and Kitab Productions
I collaborated with director Aisha Jamal to design a very minimal, solemn, and haunting poster featuring Afghan historian Jawan Shir Rasikh, a key figure of the film, as he walks amongst relics in Kabul.
Auction lot cards
I designed cards that provide information about the way artifacts are bought and sold at auction. The illustrations of the marble panels are by Gillian Goerz.
Location keys and lower-thirds
Timeline design
To make the transit between different time periods and types of footage easy to understand, I designed a simple and elegant look for the timeline.
End crawl design
For the end crawl, I designed a special two-column alternate-row layout with names and roles in both English and Dari. Designing a crawl that could be read from left to right as well as from right to left was a fascinating challenge for this non-Dari speaker!
