Afghan Girls Can Kick (2008)

An intimate fly-on-the-wall documentary portrait of teenage girls breaking the stereotypes set for them by intensely conservative Afghan society, in some cases escaping grinding poverty, gaining self-esteem and confidence as players in Afghanistan's first ever women's national football team. The film follows the team during preparations for their first competitive international matches, concentrating on a number of the players and their journey from growing up under the Taliban, to their life in modern-day Afghanistan and their hopes for the future. As a child, Roya had to collect waste paper off the filthy, dusty streets of Kabul's slums in order to find fuel for her family. Found by an Afghan charity helping street children, she received an education and found she had a talent for football. She now plays centre-forward for the national women's team, but also works teaching and training other children who are still forced to work on the streets to help their families. Other members of the team recount their problems with the Taliban and how football helped them to see a future in present-day Afghanistan, beset by insecurity and suicide bombings. The film offers a rare and intimate insight into the lives of young Afghan women, showing them as people individuals striving for a future and not just passive victims.