By Florian BARNETT-TRIER, Badis AZOUNI, Kamaal JHUMRA, and Emin ABASOV
The Breadwinner, directed by Nora Twomey and released in 2017, is a poignant animated film, produced by Cartoon Saloon, with creative oversight from Angelina Jolie. The protagonist of the film, Pavarna, is a young girl living in Taliban controlled Afghanistan, when her father is taken without warning and she is forced to pretend to be a boy to help her family survive. Through its devastating emotional storytelling, coupled with stunning hand-drawn visuals, the film portrays a tragic story of oppression, survival, and the incredible discrimination that so many still face today.
The film is set in Kabul during the late nineties, on the eve of an American takeover. During this time period, and indeed right now, minority groups and especially women, are consistently denied basic human rights and are not even allowed to step outside unless with a man. In writing this screenplay, Nora Twomey hoped to put this issue on a big stage, to draw attention to it and humanise the experiences of those who are easy to feel disconnected from. Pavarna, powerless as a girl, gains freedom as a boy, highlighting the seemingly arbitrary and unjust Sharia law in place.
The film artfully interweaves folktale and reality, with both running in tandem. As Pavarna reaches the peak of her story, so too does her otherworldly counterpart, Sulayman. This double narrative helps to increase the scope of the narrative, and it is so smoothly integrated that it is easy to think both stories are in fact the same side of the same coin, and perhaps the film could benefit from a little more clarity in that area.
The animation techniques displayed are central to the film’s emotional journey. Scenes set in the real world use dull greys and a bleak colour palette, reflecting the intense despair and hopelessness experienced in several moments, with brighter colours appearing during the storytelling sections, highlighting the emotional escape with which our character is engaging in, and allowing the viewer a more hands-on view of events, highlighting storytelling as a sign of resistance. Throughout the whole movie, character design is simple yet painstakingly expressive, every detail helping to shape the narrative.
The move also utilises intricate sound design, drawing inspiration from instruments traditional to the area. Silence is used to emphasise moments of tension and danger, increasing the realism. Overall, these sound techniques, crafted by Mychael and Jeff Danna, contribute massively to the emotional depth and immerse the audience in the world and environment of Pavarna, reinforcing the seriousness of the situation.
When we think about how this film connects to us as a community, it teaches us many lessons that we here at Ecolint are privileged to participate in – however, the global issue primarily emphasised in this movie is the evaluation of human rights, specifically women’s rights. The disparity between men’s and women’s rights is highlighted through the use of colours and cinematography, where women’s lives are dull and lifeless, but as Parvana disguises as a male, life becomes colourful and enjoyable, as she is able to be more free and achieve things she has never been able to before. With these new opportunities and privileges, she does not subdue and sit on the sidelines, rather she takes advantage of them and utilises them to her fullest potential. When we delve into the portrayal of messages in The Breadwinner, we can clearly see that Ecolint’s values align with the protagonists’ in a fight for what’s right. For example, the father of our main character educates her, teaching her using books, which is illegal under Taliban rule. Because of this, he is arrested and imprisoned, despite being a veteran. Even when cornered and against all odds, the father stands up for his daughter, which in turn inspires Parvana to stand up for her father.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “to educate students to be global citizens with the courage and capacity to create a just and joyful tomorrow together” – well, this phrase perfectly encapsulates the themes of The Breadwinner – The father educating our protagonist, providing her with courage through standing up for her, leading to her accomplishing her goal to create a joyful tomorrow with her father again, through her newfound privilege from “being a boy”.
This global issue highlighted in the movie also emphasises the reality of this world, and how issues remain at hand. It may be difficult for many of us to realise this as we are extremely privileged to be where we are, in a private school, among one of the safest countries in the world, and it is a good thing for us to notice that our little bubble is ideal for the rest of the world, yet it still remains a small bubble in comparison. This is where Ecolint’s values come into play, where we – as privileged individuals with opportunity – should use our privilege and opportunity to create impact in the developing world around us so that our little bubble becomes a large bubble of diversity, inclusion, and especially highlighted with The Breadwinner, equity and equality.