The story of a young Afghan woman’s brave fight for justice after experiencing years of abuse at the hands of her father.

France/Afghanistan | 2018 | 80 minutes | Color | DVD | Order No. W181244 |

SYNOPSIS

A THOUSAND GIRLS LIKE ME is an awe-inspiring vérité documentary that tells the story of a young Afghan woman’s brave fight to seek justice and protect her children after experiencing years of abuse at the hands of her father.

Khatera Golzad’s father physically and sexually abused her for more than thirteen years, and after several aborted pregnancies, she gave birth to a daughter and a son. Despite her many attempts to file charges, neither the Afghan police nor the legal system helped her. In 2014, she appeared on national television to publicly accuse her father, finally succeeding in bringing her case to court despite threats from male relatives and judges who labelled her a liar.

Shedding light on the broken Afghan judicial system and the women it seldom protects, A THOUSAND GIRLS LIKE ME is the story of one woman’s battle against cultural, familial, and legal pressures as she embarks on a mission to set a positive example for her daughter and other girls like her. In a country where the systematic abuse of girls is rarely discussed, Afghan filmmaker Sahra Mani’s film is ultimately a story of bravery, love, hope and resilience.

PRESS

"The raw, heartbreaking film shows the double threat of a broken judicial system and ingrained oppressive and sexist attitudes. But the uplifting ending offers a glimmer of hope."

The New York Times

"A gripping look at sexual and physical abuse, incest and societal restrictions upon women in Afghanistan"

Medium

"An extraordinary film."

The Guardian

SCREENING HIGHLIGHTS AND AWARDS

  • Sedona Film Festival, Best Foreign Documentary
  • Full Frame Film Festival, Winner, Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award
  • One World Media, Feature Documentary Award
  • International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)
  • Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
  • HotDocs- International Premiere
  • Sheffield Doc Festival
  • Human Right Watch Festival

ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)

Sahra Mani

Sahra Mosawi-Mani is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, university lecturer, and founder of Afghanistan Documentary House. She began working in media in 2001 with the goal of using media as a catalyst for good. She received a Masters degree in documentary filmmaking from University of the Arts London and has since focused on creating documentaries about her own country Afghanistan. Her films include Kaloo School (2013), Beyond the Burka (2014), and A Thousand Girls Like Me (2018). (08/18)

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