When the Taliban took power in 1996, cinemas were attacked and many films were burnt. The Taliban forbade the viewing of television and films and cinemas were closed, either becoming tea shops or restaurants or falling into a state of disrepair. Habibullah Ali of Afghan Film hid thousands of films, buried underground or in hidden rooms, to prevent their destruction by the Taliban. "Teardrops" was the first post-Taliban film in 2002, and the first film since "Oruj" in 1995. On November 19, 2001, Bakhtar was the first cinema to re-open its doors, where thousands of people entered that day.