Ryan McNeil
Not all that long ago in Afghanistan, women were publicly executed in a soccer stadium by the Taliban.
Now a dozen years later, women can often be found in that very same stadium, however not as condemned prisoners. These women have come by their choosing, and they have come to fight. Specifically, they have come to box.
THE BOXING GIRLS OF KABUL debuts tonight at Hot Docs, and it is a powerful film about three young women in Afghanistan who are trying to fight off the spectre of the extremist Taliban regime. Specifically, teenaged girls named Shabnam, Sadaf, and Shahla. They are trained to box by an Afghan man named Mohammad Sabir Sharifi, himself a former boxer who was selected to compete at the 1984 Olympic Games before The Soviet Union rolled into Afghanistan and scuttled any such plans. The film shows the girls training and competing in international tournaments, all the while facing many dangers and dissent at home for what some feel is an affront to Islam.
The film is engrossing in the way it presents all the facets of the story. It maps out the facts of life for women in Afghanistan in 2012. There are girls who are still not allowed to leave their homes, and girls who are not allowed to attend school. So if one comes into the story thinking that girls boxing in Afghanistan is a radical idea, details such as these make it clear just how radical a concept this is.
As is to be expected, the camera captures expressions of pride, joy, determination, and empowerment as the women train in that bright, sparse gym…like young eagles who have just figured out they can fly. Such activities on the same ground that once saw such atrocities would be victory enough for some people, but not for Sabir Sharifi – and certainly not for the girls. They all have their sights set on international competition, and even go so far as to talk of Olympic hopes.
However, as the doc points out, none of that will come easily. Not only is the entire program decried by many who observe it – including some of the girls’ own family members – but training the women without proper funding, equipment or support makes them ill-equipped to compete when they do reach the international stage. It’s at this point that the film feels its most honest, as the girls grumble amongst themselves about how they are faring in the ring. Like any fierce athlete, it’s not enough for them to show up, do their best, and represent their country – they want to win.
One can’t help but be inspired by THE BOXING GIRLS OF KABUL. Not only does it paint a picture of young women resolved not to be locked into gender roles, but they do so under the threat of retaliation and violence. It’s a beautiful portrait of some beautiful and inspiring Arab women and shows how far things have come in Afghanistan, and yet how very far things have to go.
THE BOXING GIRLS OF KABUL plays today – 3:00pm at TIFF Bell Lightbox, again on Tuesday May 1st – 7:30pm at The Royal, and once more on Sunday May 6th – 1:30pm at The Cumberland.
That’s quite a transformation of roles in society – oppressed to boxing. Sounds uplifting, God knows where I’ll be able to find the film.
Good job with the coverage my man. I know it’s a bit disheartening that comments/traffic are probably lower since you’ve began covering the festival. Do know the ones who care continue to read.
Best of luck.
Comments are down but as it turns out traffic isn’t bad. After three times covering this festival, I’m used to it. I’m happy if I can nudge even a few people towards films they wouldn’t have otherwise reached for.
This sounds really interesting! Hopefully I’ll get to see it eventually. Makes me think of GIRLFIGHT, a film I loved.
I’d be curious to know what you think of it too, and I think after your New York meet-up you might get a chance to give it a look.
Like Alex mentions above, I think of the movie Girlfight first when I read about The Boxing Girls of Kabul. But then I just think about boxers or anyone who struggles to compete in martial arts or boxing and wonder if they are more prepared for life as everything is a struggle whether one makes it to the top or not in their chosen field. Either way, the film sounds interesting on many levels.
Hi Swing – Welcome to The Matinee!
Even with the film’s low exposure, I don’t want to specify whether the girls make it to the top…but you’re right to point out that the more interesting element is how it prepares them to deal with everything else happening in their lives. When one considers the role of women in Afghanistan, the fortitude that training as a boxer brings really does a lot to shape their place in that society.
I do hope you get a chance to see this eventually, and thanks again for stopping by.