A National Film Board of Canada production

In the face of exile, five Afghan women’s commitment to freedom and equality empowers them to take the world stage and reclaim their homeland in Brishkay Ahmed’s documentary In the Room. Through a series of honest conversations, these extraordinary rebels reveal the deeply personal history of Afghanistan in all its complexity, beauty and struggle.

Through a series of honest conversations, five extraordinary Afghan women reveal how their commitment to freedom and equality empowered them to take the world stage and reclaim their homeland.

1. You talk about growing up in Vancouver and being embarrassed by your Afghan heritage until you saw actor and activist Nelofer Pazira-Fisk in Kandahar, a film that showcased an Afghan woman as a hero. How did making this documentary further impact your understanding of Afghanistan, both its history and its future?
   

The landscape and evolving story of Afghanistan continue to shock and surprise me, even though I’m from Afghanistan and even though I have spent a lot of time back there since leaving as a child. The constant shifting of Afghan women’s identity within our motherland is a continual lesson on the fragility of our humanity and the obvious reality that women’s rights are always up for grabs.

This film, in particular, did not necessarily expand my understanding of Afghanistan, as I am already very familiar with my homeland’s history. More than anything, it impacted my understanding of what it means to be a woman in our world—what it means to be a woman who risks it all to speak up and stand against oppression through self-expression. Most importantly, I understand now that the story of Afghan women is a relevant, cautionary tale for women across the globe. We all need to be vigilant.

2. Each of the women featured in the film—Nelofer Pazira-Fisk, Vida Samadzai, Sahar Parniyan, Mozhdah Jamalzadeh and Shogofa Sediqi—achieved a level of international fame in their respective fields. Given that each of the women interviewed faced very dangerous backlash, from exile to death threats, how did you ensure they felt safe enough to tell their stories?

This film connects me with Afghan women whom I see as heroes and sisters. True, they all faced backlash. True, they challenged that backlash and continue to do so today. Safety for Afghan women is always a concern—whether inside or outside the prison borders of our nation. Thanks to support from my producer, Teri Snelgrove at the National Film Board of Canada, we had very long, transparent conversations with these women about what they needed from us to feel safe and heard. We simply followed their cues and needs. It was what we had to do: hear them, give them the space they needed and respect their desire to take the risks they chose to take—not to silence their choice and expression but to support it fully. In turn, these women did the same for me. We just respected each other through the process.

3. The interviews in the film are both intimate and honest. Was the decision to centre your conversations in interior domestic spaces another way for you to talk about Afghan women’s current situation (i.e., removed from public life)?

My action of pulling these women into interior domestic spaces was not meant to highlight the reality that women in Afghanistan are removed from public life. This was not the intention.

Each of the women has had a very unique experience, and as a result, that experience created a particular mood or atmosphere of life for them. The goal was to situate the conversation within that mood, so that our discussion could ripple outward and genuinely connect to the past through our senses rather than just through our intellect.

Their experiences have been shaped by the passage of time, which can fade memories and influence how the past is remembered, often colouring it through present-day circumstances. Situating each woman within the space and mood of that past was a way for us both to step back into the “back then” and reminisce—as a form of conversation that can transcend time and one which can show our interconnectedness.

4. Your personal experience and perspective, as much as those of the women interviewed, inform the film. What were the challenges in looking at your own life and work in the current context of Afghanistan?

I don’t have any challenges when it comes to looking at my own life. The only challenge was acknowledging the fact that I did not take proper care of Sahar when I was her director on the TV show in Kabul. I pushed her to be like the women I knew in the West, and that was not the right thing to do.

Confronting that error in my judgment and understanding that I did not protect her properly made me realize just how fragile life is for women in Afghanistan. They win when we support them, but if we don’t do it correctly, they can lose—and the consequences can be harsh.

5. With the return of the Taliban to power in 2021, systemic oppression of women’s and girls’ rights, including restricting access to education and work, and barring women from participation in public life, have been put into place. Given the sweeping erasure of women’s rights, how are women fighting back against this level of institutionalized oppression?

Afghan women are fighting back with their lives. That is the simple truth. They are fighting, and they are dying. This is the reality. There is no softer response, no more comforting truth—only this undeniable fact.

Since 2021, there have been additional shifts that are extremely dangerous for Afghan women. Russia has now acknowledged the legitimacy of the Taliban as a government, and that is deeply concerning. If more nations follow Russia’s lead, the likelihood of rights returning to Afghan women—or of the Taliban being ousted—becomes more and more remote.

This is not a trivial matter. It poses a major threat to women across the region. In neighbouring countries like Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh and others, fundamentalists are watching—and they are seeking expansion. That’s the danger. Again, it’s a threat to women outside Afghanistan, too.

6. As Afghan women persevere in fighting for their rights, how can the international community better support them? What does the erasure/attrition of women’s rights in Afghanistan mean for the global community?

In today’s world, I think women need to mirror actions that speak for the good and well-being of us all—across the globe. This is not a time to see each other as “there and here” or “them and me,” but simply as “us and we.” The international community can support Afghan women by, first and foremost, condemning any nation that recognizes the Taliban as a legitimate government. This is the first step. Second, actions like those of the International Criminal Court—which has recently issued arrest warrants for top Taliban leaders—should be highlighted in our media. It shows men around the world that these bad actors inside Afghanistan are not examples of good leaders or good men. This is necessary. Last, as mentioned in the film, In the Room is a cautionary tale for women around the globe. Ask yourself: What can you learn from the history of Afghan women? How can you protect yourself from our tragic outcomes and present-day persecution and oppression?  If you choose not to want these things for yourself— then demand that Afghan women have the power to make the same choice.

7. Each of the women featured uses her own experience to speak out for Afghan women who have been silenced. Your film is also a part of this speaking truth to power. As women’s rights in Afghanistan continue to erode, what do you want audiences to take from the film?

Women need to unite and act as a global barrier to oppression. One for all. All for one.

Featuring documentary subjects:
(With audio pronouncers)

Nelofer Pazira-Fisk

Vida Samadzai

Sahar Parniyan

Mozhdah Jamalzadah

Shogofa Sediqi

Filmmaker Brishkay Ahmed