The Breadwinner (2017)
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To provide for her family under the Taliban's rule, a young girl must disguise herself as a boy.
The story
In 2001, eleven-year-old Parvana lives in Kabul under the Taliban's Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan as the war on terror begins. When her father, a former school teacher, is unjustly arrested, the family is left without a male provider. Because women are forbidden from leaving the house alone, Parvana must find a way to support her mother, sisters, and infant brother. After being chased and unable to buy food as a girl, Parvana decides to cut her hair and dress as a boy named "Atesh," claiming to be her father's nephew. This disguise allows her to navigate the streets and secure resources for her family.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2001, Parvana lives in Kabul under the Taliban's rule. Her father, Nurullah, is arrested by a volatile man named Idrees. With her brother dead and her father imprisoned, Parvana disguises herself as a boy named "Atesh" to buy food and money. She befriends Shauzia, another girl in disguise, and Razaq, an illiterate man she teaches to read. While Parvana works hard labor jobs, her mother, Fattema, is forced to arrange Soraya's marriage for safety. Parvana eventually discovers Idrees is the one who arrested her father. After a confrontation where she hits Idrees with a brick, she flees as he is called away to fight in the U.S. invasion. Parvana eventually reaches the prison with Razaq's help. She witnesses the execution of weak prisoners and tells a story to her father, revealing her brother Sulayman's death by a land mine. Razaq rescues Nurullah, and Parvana takes him away to reunite with her family and escape Afghanistan together.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 94
- Production countries
- Canada; Ireland; Luxembourg
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Nora Twomey
- Writers
- Anita Doron · screenplay; Deborah Ellis · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Saara Chaudry · Parvana / Atesh; Soma Bhatia · Shauzia / Delowar; Ali Badshah · Nurullah; Noorin Gulamgaus · Idrees and Sulayman; Kane Mahon · Kiln Owner; Laara Sadiq · Fattema; Shaista Latif · Soraya; Kanza Feris · Sorceress / Woman in Courtyard; Kawa Ada · Razaq; Ali Kazmi · Darya / Fruit Juice Vendor / Jail Warden; Mran Volkhard · Mega Phone / Market Seller; Reza Sholeh · Stall Seller / Fruit Seller / Guard Man On Bike / Teenage Boy #2
- Genres
- adult animated drama
- Themes
- survival; gender roles; sacrifice; storytelling
- Tone and mood
- serious; vivid; empathetic; eerie
- Setting
- Kabul, Afghanistan in 2001 during the start of the war on terror.
- Premise and plot tags
- animated film; historical drama; coming-of-age; war; cultural
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2001 novel by Deborah Ellis
- Content notes
- war
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, with a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 78/100 score on Metacritic. It was praised for its stunning visuals, emotional honesty, and realistic portrayal of Afghan culture.
- Awards and nominations
- Annie Award · Best Independent Animated Feature · win; Annie Award · Best Independent Animated Feature · nomination
- Production trivia
- The story-within-a-story about the mythical Elephant King was inspired by Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth.; The film's texture and depth were created using Nuke compositing software from Guru Studio.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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