By John McDonald - December 2, 2024
The term ‘Bread and Roses’ is a political slogan that originated from a speech given by American suffragette activist Helen Todd in 1910. The line simply said, “Bread for all, and roses too.” It has been associated with songs and poems, most notably James Oppenheim’s same-name poem. And now, in 2024, it is the title of a film, a powerful documentary by director Sahra Mani about Afghan women living in Kabul who are oppressed by the Taliban and have taken an important stand by protesting for their much-deserved rights. The echoes of the women’s voices can be heard with every “work, bread, and education” chant they scream, the same stark message uttered by Todd 114 years ago.
When the Taliban offensive happened in 2021, it ended a two-decade-long war in Afghanistan. The American occupation was no more but it meant the Taliban gained more control of the country, especially in Kabul, the country's capital. Women lost the right to do nearly everything. Getting a taxi themselves and walking down the street unaccompanied was prohibited, but losing their right to education past sixth grade and work is where the line was crossed. It led thousands of supremely strong-willed women to take to the streets of Kabul and protest their feelings right in the face of the Taliban itself.
Bread & Roses, a new Apple TV+ film, explores the fateful switch in women’s rights during the aftermath of 2021. The focus of the film is on three women captured in real-time, each of whom is ready to take the battle to their oppressors. Sharifa, a former government official has now been reduced to a paltry life of indoor hibernation, spending her time on a sewing machine instead of her career passion. Zahra Mohammadi spent her former life as a dentist before her career was taken from her but now uses her former practice to organize marches and protests. Taranom is the last of the three women protagonists; she has been exiled for her activism and is now a Pakistani refugee. These are just three out of millions of women across Afghanistan trying to get their lives back under this current regime.
Jennifer Lawrence is one of the film’s producers and hired the talented filmmaker Sahra Mani as director after watching her previous documentary, A Thousand Girls Like Me (2019) which revolves around the sexual abuse of an Afghan woman. Who better to get involved than Mani though, a woman not only from Afghanistan as well but also had her creative freedom blocked by the Taliban in the past – the filmmaker had previous films destroyed by the terrorist group for not falling under the new rules. Mani highlights the atrocities facing the women of Afghanistan in such a truthful way. It is not only a powerful showcase but also poignantly directs the lens at the unheard voices of the country, while not falling into the trap of peppering the viewer with violence and malevolence.
It's a little rough around the edges as films, but does that add to its effect? The scattershot filming approach is somewhat amateurish in its aesthetic, although it is understandable considering this regime is almost impossible to navigate. It does take away from some of the emotional subject matter, with the guerilla-like filming techniques not being able to do the story the justice it deserves. Within the shaky footage is a lot more refined cinematography though. It possesses some harrowing shots that put so much into perspective. The desolate dentistry is just one of the stark realisations of a dream that is now nothing but ruins, as it lies in the shadows of Kabul. It’s a very expository documentary that aims to teach the viewers about its subject, while also attempting to add a slight reflexive quality to its filmmaking approach, something that contributes to the rustic feel Mani clearly wanted.
The film does a fantastic job of highlighting the incredible diversity within Afghan women; their careers, interests, and passions being just a handful of these. The group of activists that take to the streets has dentists, writers, filmmakers, government officials, and poets, whilst also offering a place to the women who weren’t as lucky with their educations. There is no hierarchy, they are all in it together because the Taliban are prejudiced against all which only makes them stronger. The surprising diversity comes from a point of ignorance more than anything though; a lack of Western education about the country known as the ‘Graveyard of Empires’ is part of the overriding issue as well. It’s up to films like Bread & Roses to share with the rest of the world about the atrocities that have been partly formulated through Western interference.
Through the characters at the front of the picketing line, we become educated about what they are fighting for. Bread & Roses' tagline speaks louder than the film itself, “Do not forget about Afghan women!”, and is something that will stick in your mind long after the film ends – the story itself though, now that is something that will keep developing chapters for the long foreseeable future.
Bread & Roses is streaming now on Apple TV+
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