The Breadwinner(2017)
dir. Nora Twomey
A girl in Kabul cuts her hair to feed her family.
Where to watch: Rent or buy only: Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, rent $3.99 / buy $14.99; no subscription or free option found (JustWatch US, updated 2026-09-18). Verify.Letterboxd ↗
Parvana is eleven and lives in Kabul under Taliban rule. When her father is arrested, the women of the family cannot leave the house, so she cuts her hair, dresses as a boy and goes out to earn bread. Between the scenes of the city, she tells a story to her little brother, drawn in a different, paper-cut style. Animated by Cartoon Saloon (Ireland) and based on Deborah Ellis's novel.
Why it’s here
The film shows what it costs a girl to be allowed to exist in public, and it makes it watchable for kids. What's punk is that her rebellion is tiny and practical: a haircut, a trip to the market. What's pedagogical is the storytelling thread, which shows how a story is a way to survive. Companion to the catalog book The Breadwinner (Deborah Ellis), and pairs with I Am Malala and The Swallows of Kabul. Note: PG-13-ish; there is a public beating and the threat of violence. Angelina Jolie was an executive producer.
Where This Film Lives
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