“My family is in a desperate situation,” says Parvana (Saara Chaudry, “Max and Shred”) in a new trailer for “The Breadwinner.” And desperate situations call for desperate measures. The 11-year-old girl is living in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, where she is constantly told to cover up and go inside, but she has a plan to change her life and save her family.
Parvana cuts her hair and disguises herself as a boy so she can earn money after her father is imprisoned. And as a boy, she can go anywhere she likes — including going on a search for her dad.
Based on the best-selling YA novel by Deborah Ellis, “The Breadwinner” is helmed by Nora Twomey, co-directer of the Oscar-nominated animated feature “The Secret of Kells.” Ellis penned the script with Anita Doron (“The Lesser Blessed”).
Twomey will be among the honorees at Women in Animation’s first WIA Diversity Awards, which recognize artists and organizations dedicated to building a more inclusive animation industry.
“The Breadwinner” made its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and recently screened at the London Film Festival. Angelina Jolie is among the film’s producers.
Described in its official synopsis as “a powerful and riveting story of self-empowerment and imagination in the face of oppression,” “The Breadwinner” hits theaters November 17.
