Afghan Dreamers is the story of an all-girls robotics team in Afghanistan who risks it all to prove they can compete against anyone worldwide. Working in secret in a province under strong Taliban influence, the high-school-aged team members face immense odds and ever-present danger. The film focuses on three team members, Fatemah, Somaya, and Lida, who become role models for the next generation.
David Cowan produced the film and introduced us to it. He did all the work, so I provided some money and moral support. I saw an early cut before the final withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, which added extreme plot twists to the story.
The film won Amnesty International’s Best Human Rights Film Award at the Galway premiere and Honorable Mention for Best Documentary Feature at Woodstock Film Festival. Pale Blue Dot Films, which produced Afghan Dreamers, led evacuation efforts that saved the girls’ families and over 400 other imperiled Afghans and established AfghanRescueFund.org in partnership with Secular Rescue.
Read more in the original post about Afghan Dreamers at BIFF 2023.