The Breadwinner

Two of the best Irish films this century were animated features created by Cartoon Saloon, a studio based in Kilkenny. 2009's The Secret Of Kells and 2014's Song Of The Sea. Both were uniquely Irish productions drawing on Celtic history and folklore. They were the kind of stories that enthralled both young and older audiences with a mix of beautiful hand drawn animation and soulful storytelling. 2018 sees the release of their third full length animated feature, The Breadwinner. They've scored again. Three for three. A perfect hat-trick. 

Parvana is a young girl ekeing out an existence in Kabul, Afghanistan, a city under the control of the Taliban and sharia law. Life is miserable for herself and her family and only leavened by the stories her father tells her and the stories she entertains herself and her brother with. Things get even worse when her Da is arrested for the crime of educating his daughters. Because women are not allowed out without a male family member, Parvana has to disguise herself as a boy to do even the simplest of things. Her life changes in an instant.

I loved this. It's a rewarding, imaginative, timely and upsetting look at what life is like for women living under the type of oppressive regime that somehow is still managing to exist in the 21st century. It's a beautiful looking animated film about an ugly story, one packed with stunning imagery and smaller details that give the film a realism and add to it's emotional heft. It's a cartoon with a family friendly certificate but don't let it fool you into thinking you are in for an easy ride. It's horrors are implied rather than shown and psychologically it's quite rough going. It's also tribute to the power of storytelling itself. How stories can empower you, encourage you and keep you going. How we need them in our lives.

An upsetting aspect of the story is how easy Parvana's life becomes when people see her as a boy. No more street harassment. No more fear of sexual assault or beatings. Even being able to buy food or get water from the well becomes just another choir instead of a life threatening task. It's a damning indictment of systemic misogyny and male privilege. It shows just how easy it is to be a man in this world. Parvana's world opens up and she manages to glean some moments of joy when she finds another person in the same situation as her but the implications of it all are just heartbreaking.

It's not all sadness though, there's a lot of humanity and strange beauty in here. Parvana's interactions with her little brother and the epic stories she tells her family and herself draw from middle eastern folklore and add a touch of mysticism to proceedings. Her glee when her first outing as a boy is a success. The opening scenes that tell us about the history of conflict in Afghanistan from Genghis Khan all the way up to the Russian conflict is done economically in a fantastic scrolling moment. The story even finds time to humanise a member of the Taliban. All done with a tragic letter and an interrupted apple peel in a heart rending moment that makes you remember that monsters can be human too. 

Director Nora Twomey has created an excellent film, an assured and compelling story that will get under your skin and stay there. Saara Chaudry, who voices Parvana nails her part too. You'll genuinely care about this young girl and experience every emotion along with her, whether it be joy, fear, exhilaration or heartbreak. Of course it can't all be perfect. The latter part of the story does feel a bit melodramatic and one moment of tension and release feels rather contrived but they don't take away from the overall quality on display. 

I urge you to go see this if it makes it to a cinema near you. It's a glorious Irish production packed with heart and humanity. Go and support Cartoon Saloon. I cannot wait to see what they and Nora Twomey do next.