THE STORY – It follows three women. Sharifa, formerly a government employee, is reduced to a tedious life indoors. Zahra, a dentist made to stop working, begins organizing activists in her former practice; she is arrested and tortured. Taranom is exiled for her activism and becomes a Pakistani refugee.
THE CAST – N/A
THE TEAM – Sahra Mani (Director)
THE RUNNING TIME – 89 minutes
Everything changed overnight for women in Afghanistan when the Taliban seized Kabul in 2021. They were not allowed to continue their education, work, walk outside without a chaperone, or let their voices be heard. Their lives, essentially, were over. But that didn’t mean many were ready to succumb to the horror around them so easily.
As seen in Sahra Mani’s timely and harrowing documentary “Bread & Roses,” when women come together, a revolution is formed. In their fight for equality, women don’t stand down when guns are in their faces or when men try to take away even more of their freedoms. It only fuels their fire even more. This on-the-ground documentary brings to the surface several different emotions, from rage to immense sadness over the situation that millions of young girls and women find themselves in, as well as hope seeing these warriors come together to fight for a better tomorrow. Through it all, Mani’s moving film will hopefully inspire women worldwide to stand for their rights and continue their battle daily.
There’s no narrator or text guiding viewers through the events they see play out, but that doesn’t mean this is a difficult film to follow in any way, though it is sometimes difficult to watch. Mani mainly focuses on three women and their stories: Zahra, a dentist who refuses to close up her practice while also using it as headquarters for a group of women activists; Sharifeh, a former government employee who is stuck at home but yearns to be part of the fight; and Taranom, an activist who seeks asylum in Pakistan.
Through these women, the reality of the situation in Afghanistan comes alive in every frame. Zahra demands to keep her name on her dentistry practice, even going so far as putting it out on the street for everyone to see, a true sign of protest. Later in the film, she’s faced with the harsh realities of what happens when you get on the Taliban’s radar, seen through chilling and emotional sequences. Similarly, with Sharifeh and Taranom’s stories, though they may not be as deeply involved in the day-to-day fight or even in the same country, they wear their pain on their sleeves. Taranom’s journey to Pakistan spotlights the harsh reality of refugees, who are forced to start over their lives with little to nothing available to them. Though the editing of all these sequences may be a bit disorganized at times – jumping erratically from one person to the next with little rhyme or reason – all these stories paint a brutal portrait of reality that is so vital to watch, especially as women’s rights are continuously targeted around the world.
Having the subjects film themselves as they go about their lives is another powerful tool deployed in “Bread & Roses” as it brings the action up close to us. Through these women’s cameras, we see the streets filled with armed men and hear the sounds of gunfire and people screaming, all traumatic moments to live through, and that hit viewers to their core at home. Most cruel is when the women protestors are met with aggression, whether it’s through men threatening arrests or by tear-gassing them. But somehow, these women never back down, and it’s awe-inspiring to see so much courage when facing danger. In one scene, Taliban members threaten to kill a group of women, and the activists bravely tell them to do it, showing there’s nothing they won’t do to send a message of resistance.
Amid all this horror, Mani’s film also captures how valuable it is to form a tight-knit community in the face of darkness. As women gather in Zahra’s office, it’s so endearing to watch them laugh, eat together, and dream of the world they’d like to live in. Activists on the street shout that the next president of Afghanistan will be a woman and that young girls will be able to chase their dreams and live the lives they want – hopes that are not just confined to the borders of Afghanistan. These communities also become literal lifelines, as one woman seeks solace with her fellow female warriors because she’s assaulted by a member of the Taliban who lives at home. Not only does the group keep her spirits high, but it also reminds them all that there is support around them.
Perhaps the most important part of this documentary, and the reason why resistance is vital, is seeing young girls chant against the Taliban and demand their right for education. If no one does anything, these girls will be subject to a life of marriage, raising children, and staying home, unable to leave without a man’s permission. That’s not a life that anyone should live. For that reason alone, Mani’s “Bread & Roses” is a battle cry to all women to stand up for themselves and those who will come after them and demand the equality they deserve. After all, the louder their voices, the harder they are to ignore.
