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Summary and reflection on film The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

Saima Saleh

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The Breadwinner is an animated feature film adaptation of the bestselling children’s novel by Deborah Ellis, a Canadian peace activist, who visited Afghani refugees in Pakistan in 1996. She wrote this story based on the experiences of the women she had met. This award winning film which was directed by Nora Twomey, was released in 2017 and was nominated for an Oscar in 2018.

To put the film in context, under Taliban [1] rule, women faced oppressive restrictions such as, being forced to wear the burqa, forbidden from attending school and they are not allowed to leave their homes without a man. Taliban control today, still means that the country operates under the  Shari’a [2] (Islamic law).

The film is set in Kabul 2001, just before the American invasion of Afghanistan and describes events in the life of its protagonist, 11-year-old Parvana. It explores how Parvana is represented as a young girl navigating a society produced by war and religious conflict. Parvana is an Afghani Muslim girl who finds her family struggling to survive upon the unjust arrest of her disabled father, the man of age within her household and a former teacher. The father, who is intelligent and foreign educated, is taken to prison for being “an enemy of Islam”, when he makes it obvious that his values do not align with those of the Taliban.

Within Kabul’s strict Taliban rule, Parvana cannot venture out for food without a male escort. Only pretending to be a boy will help her mother, who is also university educated but is no longer allowed to work, sister and younger brother to get by in this oppressive landscape. (See Alexandra Brown’s reflection) This plan works and Parvana experiences more freedoms presenting herself as a boy than she would have experienced, otherwise. Parvana dresses in her older brother’s clothes. The film goes on to explore how Parvana’s new role enables her to be able to see her father.

After viewing a short clip of an interview with Aisha Jamal, a film maker who was born in Afghanistan, attendees had an engaging discussion around some of the main issues that arose from the film.

The question which came from the animation itself, was “Was it a happy or sad story?” The general consensus was that, ‘it was a bit of both’. Some of us thought it was because Parvana had found her father, albeit broken, like Parvana herself by that point in the story. On the other hand, some of found it sad, as Parvana and her father had been separated from the rest of their family and possibly would never be reunited.

In answer to this question, interestingly, one attendee asked the question “How much was this question a Western influence?” This made me question whether the genre (animation) suggested that there must be a happy ending? Is the perspective of an outsider one which might have missed a level of authenticity? Who was the intended audience? Was the film intended to ‘inform’ the West? Were stereotypes being reinforced? It was strange how a simple question could create multiple complicated and thought-provoking ones.

Storytelling

The storytelling aspect of this film explores Parvana’s grief over her brother’s death after he stepped on a landmine. It is no surprise that oral storytelling is used to deliver key aspects of the plot when we consider its importance in Afghan culture (Bezhan, 2013). There is a parallel storyline running throughout the film, which is one told by Parvana to her younger brother. This is a story of a boy who was on a journey to recover the precious seeds stolen from his village by an evil elephant king. Both stories centre around the same thing- recovering something precious that was stolen against all odd.

Throughout the story, we see her brother, Sulayman, appear frequently in Parvana’s developing story about a boy from a village who takes on the task of fighting an elephant king. We learn at the end of the film that Sulayman died when he picked up a landmine. He defeats the elephant king after he makes that admission, illustrating that the elephant king represented Parvana’s suppressed grief and that this admission was a reconciliation with her loss.

We all loved how Parvana’s story was interweaved throughout the film at times of crisis and reflection. Immersing oneself in a story allows one to escape yet come to terms with grief and trauma. Having Parvana’s method of escapism was an effective way of keeping the audience engaged in the story and allowing the viewer to comprehend the ‘full’ story through working out what happened to Sulayman, Parvana’s older brother.

Members of the film club discussed some ways in which the film could be used in schools, both primary and secondary. As the film is rated a 12, using the novel or graphic novel, the text and illustrations could be used with pupils instead of the film. In primary, I would want my pupils to research what life was like in Afghanistan before the Taliban[3] took control, to help them understand that life hadn’t always been this way. Looking at political issues and human rights would be pivotal in any classwork as well as exploring gender issues, which Alexandra (fellow co-founder) explores, in her reflection of the ‘Bacha Posh’ (a unique gendered role within the Afghan context).

Exploring Islamic worldviews would be central to any work I’d do to help pupils understand the difference between the ultra-conservative view of Islam in comparison to more liberal and progressive interpretations. I would do this through using the lenses of social science and theology. In primary, I’d certainly teach about Afghanistan’s riches: its poets, writers, artists, its geography. Certainly, at a secondary level, pupils could use some of the content to learn about the GCSE topic of Peace and Conflict. Clips from Parvana’s story could offer insight into the experiences of civilians in war, allowing students to consider the human price paid by those caught up in conflict.

“Raise your words. Not your voice. It is rain that makes the flowers grow. Not thunder.”

This line from the film stood out to me as I felt it summarised the main theme so well. It reflects the resilience of the protagonists, while emphasizing the need for peace in this war-torn world.

References

Questions to think about

  1. What was your first impression when you watched this film?
  2. Afghanistan is the land of the storytellers. Storytelling is a huge part of the film. How does the parallel storyline add to the film?
  3. While the film must be commended for bringing to light the oppressive rule of the Taliban, it regurgitates long-held stereotypes of Islam as an oppressive religion to women and girls, even though Taliban rule in Afghanistan is unique even for the Islamic world. Do you think this film could do more harm than good in promoting these religious stereotypes?
  4. In times of hardship, what qualities do women possess that men do not?
  5. Can education solve all social problems?
  6. Is school the only way a person becomes educated?
  7. It’s ten years from now… How have the characters changed?
  8. The question “Is it a happy story or a sad story?” is raised in the film. What are your views on this? Is it a story of hope, knowing what we know now, many years after the Americans left Afghanistan and the Taliban have regained control?
  9. Is there one scene or moment that sums up the heart of this film?
  10. How could you explore the themes from this film with pupils and with staff members in your schools?

References

TheosThinkTank

Film details

Footnotes

  • [1] Ultra conservative political and religious faction that emerged in Afghanistan in the mid-1990s following the withdrawal of Soviet troops, the collapse of Afghanistan’s communist regime, and the subsequent breakdown in civil order (Britannica)
  • [2] “ ‘Shari’a’ can be understood as God’s will for humankind. ‘Fiqh’ is the body of law produced by scholars trying to understand that will. As fiqh is the result of human interpretation, it is recognised as being fallible. The basic sources of shari’a are the Qur’an and the Sunnah (the sayings and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad).”