As a kid, I remember listening to mythological stories from my grandmother before I slept. I used to really look forward to these moments, when I was tucked in at night and my grandmother would narrate Lord Krishna’s tales of courage, mischief, integrity and honesty. She would often feel so sleepy that she deliberately skipped a few episodes, and I would (as I had memorized all the tales) point out that she had missed that particular tale.
She would laugh, and ask that why I insisted on hearing the same stories when I had memorized them so well myself – I do not think I had an answer to those questions at the time. But probably, now I have a better understanding of the relevance of stories in our lives.
Art, for me, is all about stories. There are stories hidden beneath every nook and cranny of our world; there are stories in music, in dance, in paintings, in books, in poems and in our minds and our hearts. We all want to be a story that is told to future generations, we all do have a story that we cling on to dearly. The best part about a story is that different people learn or interpret the same story differently.
But, why am I suddenly blabbering about stories? The biggest and one of the most commercially viable art forms – cinema – is all about storytelling. I want to talk about (not review, no this is definitely not a review but a mere compilation of my observations) this brilliant yet poignant movie, ‘The Breadwinner.’
The Breadwinner is directed by an Irish filmmaker Nora Twomey, and co-produced by Angelina Jolie. It is an animation movie about a family trying to make the ends meet in a war torn country – Afghanistan. This is also the story of Parvana, an 11-year-old girl, who sometimes throws a tantrum but otherwise she is apprehensive, scared and timid. This is a child who is raised in a land covered with blood.
The story begins with the protagonist, Parvana, sitting with her father on the floor of what seems like a grocery market. They are trying to make a living by selling some odd mix of goods like clothes, jewellery, bottles, flowers, etc. A few minutes into the movie, and I am hooked as Nurullah (Parvana’ father) tells Parvana, “stories remain in our hearts, even while all else has gone.”
This is after Parvana throws a fit about how she is too old to be hearing stories. This is followed by a simple yet stunning story through which Nurullah narrates the history of Afghanistan to his daughter. I believe that through this story Nurullah tries to convey to Parvana that there was a time when Afghanistan lived in peace and stability. The introduction to ‘the land of Ariana’ is magnificent and alluring for the viewer. It contrasts the present ignorance prevalent in Afghanistan with its past glory and achievements.
Parvana’s father, a former teacher, lost his leg in the war that Afghanistan fought against the Russians, her mother, Fattema is a writer and Parvana has a younger brother Zaki and an elder sister Soraya.
On one unfortunate day, Parvana’s father is taken away to the prison by the Taliban, as he is charged with breaking the sharia law by teaching the women in his house. The capriciousness of a country muddled in war is almost heart wrenching and difficult to comprehend at times. There are moments in the movie when despite the viewer feeling the despair in the air of Afghanistan, the sheer hopelessness combined with helplessness is hard to grasp.
One of the major themes outlined in the movie is the absolute powerlessness of women under the Taliban regime; as women are not allowed to go out of their house, unless accompanied by a male member. In one such incident, when Fattema goes out with Parvana to look for her husband, she is beaten black and blue for breaking the sharia law.
To exist as a woman is akin to a curse in this land where women are reduced to slaves by birth. As a result of this, they can neither buy food, nor fetch water by themselves and have no other way but to starve themselves to death. In fact, they are almost always treated as invisible creatures, who are not paid heed to unless they have a man with them.
The absurdity of this situation is hard to comprehend, and it is even harder to put yourself in the shoes of these women. In the middle of this quagmire, an idea sparks in Parvana’s mind, she wakes up and with a heavy heart, cuts her beautiful long hair with a scissor; and dresses up like a boy all set to earn some money for her family.
Fortunately, Parvana has a chance meeting with her ex-classmate Shouzia who is a girl but is also dressed like a boy (and calls herself Deliwar). Shouzia is a delightful girl, like a ray of hope amidst the darkness of oppression and violence. These two girls, disguised as boys, find a way to deal with the cruelties of their time and place.
They steal candies, share their aspirations and dream for a better future. More than anything, they understand what liberty and freedom mean for the first time in a long time; as a boy (under the regime) they can go anywhere without anyone’s help and can earn a living, make sure that their family is fed. These two adolescent girls manage to find a confidante in a place where their identity remains under wraps.
Despite providing her family with food and water, Parvana is worried about her imprisoned father. She is relentless in her efforts in looking for her father. The inspiration that one can draw from this character is immense, as this 11-year-old puny little girl shows fortitude like no other person. Meanwhile, her mother writes a letter to her cousin living in Mazar-i-Sharif, requesting him to take them away from Kabul.
Fattema is so disillusioned and despondent that she does not even hope to see her husband again; and yet tries to save her children before they too go away in this war. She writes at the end of the letter, “we are all capable women, and will not be a burden to you.”
This definitely highlights a strong streak of independence that is layered under the tyrannical regime of Taliban.
As the army prepares to attack the Taliban, the movie gains pace and there is much more turmoil within Parvana and her family’s life. Parvana’s mother receives a positive response from her cousin in Mazar-i-SSharif, and instructs her children to pack their bags and leave day after tomorrow.
Realizing that they will be leaving their native place, Parvana takes another chance to find her father. She promises to come back before they are to leave for Mazar-i-Sharif. But as the war is approaching closer, Fattema’s relative comes sooner than expected and they must leave with him while Parvana is still gone.
There are two parallel roads that Parvana and Fattema have taken, they face challenges and are struggling to find and protect their loved ones.
The movie ends on this beautiful yet melancholic note, “we are a land whose people are its greatest treasure.” It leaves me in tears.
The sheer vulnerability and chaos that is a part of the very fabric of the movie makes you really feel the struggles of people residing in a war zone. There are generations in Afghanistan that have not witnessed stability, peace and order in their country. Here we are, living in peace and yet not living in peace.
Those countries that are not at war without, they are still at war within. It is this irony about the world that we live in, that troubled me at the end. It takes us a full-fledged war to realize the worth of a human life. Else, we continue to wage violence on the basis of region, religion, caste, gender, colour, etc. This definitely leaves me angry on our inability to value peace and order within our society.
But, there is something more that the story brings forward. The movie alternates between the life of Parvana and her family, and a story that Parvana recites to her little brother. Stories become this family’s way to move to a different plane, to find some peace amidst utter chaos and to relieve themselves just for a few moments.
The family of Parvana share their grief and turn it into laughter through the fascinating and mythical stories recited by Parvana. Parvana takes refuge in this story whenever she is indignant and furious about the world that she inhabits, and about the dehumanizing behaviour of men towards women under the Taliban regime.
There is a frame where Parvana and her friend sit on an old tank, to watch the sunset and talk about their dreams. The juxtaposition of dreams of children sitting on an old army tank reflects the bizarreness that lies at the core of war. It outlines the ability of people to hope against all odds, and throws light on the loss of childhood among children living in war torn regions.
Towards the end, when Parvana is struggling to find her father, and she hears guns and bombs at a distance; she begins to recall the story. Parvana gains courage in tribulation through her story. The background score of the movie was in line with the screenplay. It was mostly melancholic, and gained pace whenever Parvana recited her stories.
The animation of the stories recited by Parvana was rudimentary and yet effective, they had elements of humour; which felt almost ridiculous given their situation. The humour in the stories was deliberate and eerie, may be to reveal some hidden traces of a child left within this brave little girl.
The movie is about a subject that has elements of injustice, brutality, violence and oppression; and yet, the movie does leave you feeling hopeful. One of the key takeaways for me is that mental strength can trump physical strength in the most trying circumstances, as the mind has the power to take you away to a better world.
The mind is also capable to hope, aspire and dream in the bleakest of situations. Parvana’s story also throws light on wars, borders, Taliban, oppression of women in Afghanistan and the dismal state of the people in a war prone region. How war tears apart the social fabric of a region, how it normalizes the death of a child and forces people to move out of their homes.
The essence of the story lies in the little moments of nobility, laughter and fun that people still see around them. This bitter-sweet mixture of human emotions is one of the most heart-rending aspects of this movie. Also, the movie and the story that are recited by Parvana can be interpreted in several ways; and that is the essence of this movie.
I think this movie reiterates the idea that storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world.