As "Bread & Roses" (2023 release from Afghanistan; 88 min) opens, we are introduced to an Afghani woman wo is lamenting that "suddenly the sky was raining stones" (referring to the Taliban overtaking Kabul in August 20, 2021. We are also introduced to a woman dentist, who is afraid that she may not longer ne allows to run her dentist practice. At this point we are less than 10 minutes into the movie.
Couple of comments: this is the latest from Afghani documentarian Sahra Mani ("A Thousand Girls Like Me"). Here she brings us the desperate and harrowing situation of women and girls under the Taliban rule: no school, no work, basically under house arrest 24/7. "We are slaves" comments one of the women. And still in the initial period following August, 2021, some very brave women demonstrate for women's rights. We all know how that turned out. Beware: some of the footage is sickening. Much (but not all) of the footage in this documentary comes from the smart phones of these women (which at times is rough). While the last hasn't been said on these issues, this film is a timely reminder that in Afghanistan, half of the population has been canceled. Please note that this film should not have been titled "Bread & Roses" (a reference to the early 20th century women's suffrage campaign). The correct title is "Work, Bread, Education", the slogan that the Afghan women and girls shout out time and again in their fight to be heard. Last but not least, this film was co-produced by Jennifer Lawrence's production house Excellent Cadaver.
"Bread & Roses" premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival (yes, 18 months ago). It currently is rated 81% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. It started streaming on Apple TC just a few days ago. IF you have any interest in women's rights or what daily life is like under the Taliban rule, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.
