Parvana is a young girl who really loves her father, Nurullah. He lost a leg in the Soviet-Afghan war so he is left to sell their possessions at the market, including a beautiful dress that Parvana has never worn.
The political tide has turned toward the Taliban. The father, who is also a teacher, is now on the other side of that political tide. They are harassed with an "offer" to marry off the young girl. The father smartly says she has been promised to someone else, even though we know that is not true. Shortly after, the father is arrested.
The Breadwinner is a Canadian film nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe with Angelina Jolie as one of the executive producers.
Now the family has a serious problem. Parvana had an older brother Sulayman who died, an older sister Soraya, a baby brother Zaki, and her mother Fattema. No male adult relative meant moving around outdoors wasn't an option.
Parvana then cuts her hair to become a "boy." The child then runs into an old friend Shauzia, who has become Deliwar in a similar fashion. Parvana struggles to come up with a name and eventually settles on Aatish, which means fire.
Parvana and Deliwar discover new freedoms that didn't have as girls in Kabul. As Aatish, Parvana makes money reading letters to people who don't know how to read.
This is an animated film that takes place in Kabul, Afghanistan. So "visibly Canadian" isn't a factor.
The Breadwinner is based on the book by Canadian Deborah Ellis. The major voice actors are Canadian: Saara Chaudry (Parvana / Aatish); Soma Bhatia (Shauzia / Deliwar); Ali Badshah (Nurullah); and Noorin Gulamgaus (Idrees and Sulayman). The film is a co-production with Canada, Ireland, and Luxembourg.
Ellis and Anita Doron wrote the screenplay with direction by Nora Twomey.
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The elephant story, told to baby Zaki, helps tell the story of the culture throughout the film. Even though the film is animated, do not assume that the film is for all ages. The cruelty of life in that part of the world is told with the proper harsh tone at times. The violence is kept off-screen for the most part but would be sensitive to some viewers.
The story is powerful and important in this era. The film lives up to its hype.
The Breadwinner (2017) received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. The film was nominated for 6 Canadian Screen Awards, winning 4 for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song for The Crown Sleeps.
video credit: YouTube/StudiocanalUK
photo credit: The Breadwinner
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