The Breadwinner (2017)

In 2001, Afghanistan is under the control of the Taliban. When her father is captured, a determined young girl disguises herself as a boy in order to provide for her family.

Director:

Nora Twomey

Writers:

Anita Doron (screenplay), Deborah Ellis (screen story)

Stars:

Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Noorin Gulamgaus

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 45 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Saara Chaudry	...	Parvana (voice)
Soma Chhaya	...	Shauzia (voice) (as Soma Bhatia)
Noorin Gulamgaus	...	Idrees / Sulayman (voice)
Laara Sadiq	...	Fattema / Old Woman (voice)
Ali Badshah	...	Nurullah / Talib Security Man (voice)
Shaista Latif	...	Soraya (voice)
Kanza Feris	...	Sorceress / Woman in Courtyard (voice)
Kawa Ada	...	Razaq (voice)
Kane Mahon	...	Optician / Kiln Owner / Crowd Voices (voice)
Ali Kazmi	...	Darya / Fruit Juice Vendor / Jail Warden / Various (voice)
Mran Volkhard	...	Megaphone / Market Seller (voice)
Reza Sholeh	...	Stall Seller / Fruit Seller / Guard Man on Bike / Teenage Boy #2 (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lily Erlinghauser	...	Zaki (voice)
Wamiq Furoghudin	...	Prison Gatekeeper (voice)
Millad Hamidkohzad	...	Other Talib Boy / Guard #2 (voice)

Storyline

From executive producer Angelina Jolie and the creators of the Academy Award nominated The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, comes the highly-anticipated new feature based on Deborah Ellis' bestselling novel. Parvana is an 11-year-old girl growing up under the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. When her father is wrongfully arrested, Parvana cuts off her hair and dresses like a boy in order to support her family. Working alongside her friend Shauzia, Parvana discovers a new world of freedom-and danger. With undaunted courage, Parvana draws strength from the fantastical stories she invents, as she embarks on a quest to find her father and reunite her family. Equal parts thrilling and enchanting, The Breadwinner is an inspiring and luminously animated tale about the power of stories to sustain hope and carry us through dark times.

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Plot Keywords:

afghanistan | gender disguise | prison | taliban | arranged marriage | 

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Genres:

Animation | Drama | Family | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

N: Rated PG-13 for thematic material including some violent images

Details

Official Sites:

Aircraft Pictures [Canada] Cartoon Saloon [Ireland]

Country:

Ireland Canada Luxembourg USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 November 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Parvana

Box Office

Gross USA:

$312,381, 15 March 2018

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aircraft Pictures,Cartoon Saloon,Mélusine Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the only film nominated for best animated feature at the 2018 Oscars not produced in the United States.

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Goofs

According to sources the film takes place in 2001. But the currency used in the film is Afghani which wasn't introduced until 2003.

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Quotes

Sulayman: My name is Sulayman! My mother is a writer. My father is a teacher. And my sisters always fight each other. One day, I found a toy on the street. I picked it up. It exploded. I don't remember what happened after that because it was the end.

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Connections

Referenced in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: The Puppet Master (2018)

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Soundtracks

Chant Accompagné Par Un Ritchak Et Un Zer-Barhali
Courtesy of Sonodisc / Melodie

User Reviews

Criminally underseen gem

This is the kind of film that should be celebrated on account of its various political stands all the while presenting a disillusioned tale of the life especially for women and children in an oppressive society that has been shaped not only due to an idiosyncratic yet terrifying form of fundamentalist religion but also because of the continuous warfare of the Afghan region that always treat them as collateral damage. In a lot of fields, this film surpasses a lot of other films that are being celebrated in 2017 for exactly those fields.