When I went to see The Breadwinner at the AMC River East a couple months ago, I was the only one in the theater; when I planned to write about it a few days later, the film had already left town. I’m glad to see that the Gene Siskel Film Center has brought it back for a weeklong engagement, so that more Chicagoans can catch up with this inventive and informative film. (That it was recently nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Feature should help drum up attendance.) The Breadwinner delivers a rich lesson in modern Afghan history in a manner that should speak to older children—the heroine is an 11-year-old girl and the animation is fantastic—though adults will also appreciate the clever storytelling and political perspective. Moreover, it presents a sympathetic view of women living under an oppressive, misogynist regime, and this makes it worthwhile viewing for anyone.
At the same time, one is constantly aware of the danger these girls are in. The fear of discovery hangs over nearly all their public behavior, and they also have to contend with Taliban supporters, who are quick to act violently against both men and women. Children must grow up fast under such circumstances, and The Breadwinner derives its lasting sense of tragedy from its consideration of how they’ve been stripped of their childhood. There’s a sad undercurrent to Parvana’s fairy tale—it represents an attempt to salvage whatever’s left of her imagination and sense of play, in essence, her childhood, before she no longer has access to them.
