Just got in from seeing this amazing and very moving animated film (based on a children's novel by Canadian author Deborah Ellis, directed by Irish director Norah Twomey, and executive produced by Angelina Jolie) about a young girl in Taliban-controlled Kabul who disguises herself as a boy - as many did - to provide for her family after her disabled father is arrested and her mother and older sister - now with no male relative to accompany them - are unable to venture out even to get water or shop in the market.
There was a Q&A afterwards that sadly rather got hi-jacked by an audience of millennials talking about women in the film industry when I'd much sooner have heard about women in Afghanistan. But the story is set in 2001 and we were told that since then conditions for women have somewhat improved; I only hope that's true. To my surprise, the film is to be dubbed and shown on television there.
I'm confident saying that this is going to be one of my films of the year.
Reviews and a trailer here and here.
(There's posters for this film all over London but unfortunately it seems to be on fairly limited release elsewhere. Just for a change.)
With a recommendation like that, I can't resist. It's such a shame the Q & A couldn't have been swung back to the topic of the film, but thanks for spreading the word, Mary.
ReplyDeleteI think you'd like it,Darlene - but I hope it hasn't been and gone. With so much Canadian in-put, it might have been released earlier than we got it.
ReplyDeleteI teach Year 6 girls and have encouraged them to read this lovely book for years - Deborah Ellis has written a couple of good sequels as well. Thank you for the review, I will search out the film!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they'd love it, Anonymous. I didn't realise there was a sequel.
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