The Breadwinner

Nora Twomey’s The Breadwinner tells the story of Parvana, an 11-year-old girl growing up under the Taliban in Afghanistan. When her father is wrongfully arrested, Parvana disguises herself as a boy in order to support her family. Drawing strength from her father’s stories, Parvana ultimately risks her life to discover if he is still alive. Equal parts thrilling and enchanting, The Breadwinner is a timely and inspiring tale about the transcendent power of stories and their potential to unite and heal us all.

"In the spirit of Studio Ghibli, the Irish studio’s spiritual cousins, director Nora Twomey’s film is about the ways we try to cradle each other from the harsher realities of life. This is a day-to-day survival story that stirs the heart and fires the imagination." Phil de Semlyen, TimeOut

"So urgent and far-reaching that it never settles into the comforts of a coming-of-age story, The Breadwinner is a small film about the biggest things. It’s engaging from start to finish, but Twomey - to her great credit - prioritizes stoicism over sentimentality." David Ehrlich, IndieWire

"Not unlike her gutsy protagonist, Twomey moves through the charged landscape with extraordinary agility. Combining gripping suspense with a quote from the immortal Persian poet Rumi, she creates a stirring final sequence from the rising chords of terror and resilience." Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter