CANNES: While the globe watched Kabul fall again, and the Taliban government back to power in 2021 following the withdrawal of US troops, actor Jennifer Lawrence and producer Justine Ciarrocchi asked themselves what they could do to support women’s rights.
According to Voice of America (VoA), Ciarrocchi told the Hollywood Reporter, “Jen’s first response was to find an Afghan filmmaker and give them a platform.”
They eventually found director Sahra Mani, whose 2019 documentary “A Thousand Girls Like Me” looked at the sexually abused woman’s and girl’s quest for justice.
On Sunday, “Bread and Roses,” Mani’s documentary film about the daily lives of three Afghan women after the Taliban’s resurgence, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in a special screening.
“This documentary has a soft message from Afghan women; please be their voice who are voiceless under the Taliban government,” said Mani at the premiere.
The director said that she wanted to show the reality of how life has changed under the Taliban women, even if filming was difficult. “Now that women and girls can no longer leave home without the veil, I thought we should tell their stories,” she said.
Cannes is a resort town on the French Riviera and is famed for its international film festival. Its Boulevard de la Croisette, curving along the coast, is lined with sandy beaches, upmarket boutiques and palatial hotels. It is also home to the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, a modern building complete with red carpet and Allée des Étoiles – Cannes’ walk of fame.
