The Breadwinner

2017 1h 34m EN

🙌

7.8

BANGER

★7.8TMDB · 960

AnimationWarDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A headstrong young girl in Afghanistan, ruled by the Taliban, disguises herself as a boy in order to provide for her family.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Saara Chaudry
Parvana (voice)
Soma Bhatia
Shauzia (voice)
Noorin Gulamgaus
Idrees / Sulayman (voice)
Laara Sadiq
Fattema / Old Woman (voice)
Ali Badshah
Nurullah / Talib Security Man (voice)
Shaista Latif
Soraya (voice)
Kanza Feris
Old Woman / Woman in Courtyard (voice)
Kawa Ada
Razaq (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Nora Twomey
Writers: Anita Doron, Deborah Ellis
Languages: English, Italian
Countries: Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 9 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Nora Twomey, shot by Sheldon Lisoy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mychael Danna. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Darragh Byrne shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Saara Chaudry and Soma Bhatia and Noorin Gulamgaus carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt3901826 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Nora Twomey directs. Sheldon Lisoy behind the camera. Mychael Danna scores. Darragh Byrne cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 9 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.
3International production across 4 countries: Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg, United States of America.
4Directed by Nora Twomey, shot by Sheldon Lisoy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Mychael Danna. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Darragh Byrne shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Saara Chaudry and Soma Bhatia and Noorin Gulamgaus carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt3901826 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 16 themes, including "based on novel or book", "arranged marriage", "cartoon", "imprisonment".
10Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Sheldon Lisoy
Original score: Mychael Danna
Editing: Darragh Byrne
Sound: J.R. Fountain
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.78:1 (16:9)
Status: Released
Box office: $2,790,214
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Breadwinner (2017)

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Nora Twomey

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Community reviews

What people are saying

r96sk2022-04-11
★ 8/10
Another super flick from Cartoon Saloon! After watching and enjoying the Irish Folklore Trilogy from the studio, I simply had to check out their one other film to date: <em>'The Breadwinner'</em>. I actually think that's kind of a boring title to be honest, but thankfully the film is anything but. It follows the lines that you'd, or at least I'd, expect given the subject matter, but it still adds extra weight to the story alongside plenty of heart. Saara Chaudry leads the voice cast excellently, with those behind the young Canadian putting in solid performances too. The animation, as usual for this Irish animation company, is exquisite. I'm eager to check out Cartoon Saloon's next film, with <em>'My Father's Dragon'</em> due out at some point this year. Four films in, they haven't put a foot wrong with their releases yet. This 2017 production is very good - 8/10 from me, but it's a borderline 9/10 tbh.
CinemaSerf2023-06-17
★ 7/10
"Parvana" is a young girl - only eleven years old - who is forced to use all of her wits and intelligence to help her family survive once her father is arrested and imprisoned by the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Her number one problem is, though, that girls are not even allowed outside of their homes without a male relative, much less permitted to work on the streets where she (recently shorn and pretending to be a boy) regales the curious with some fantastic tales of mystery and romance to try to make some money! She now has to tread a very fine line between keeping the cash coming in and avoiding the authorities, whilst she simultaneously works on a plan to try and free her dad. This is a cracking animation that tells a strong story with an engaging lead character who elicits sympathy, certainly, but who also demonstrates strength as her ingenuity is constantly tested by this intolerant administration as she simply refuses to be defeated! The style of the drawing is charming, and the score adds well to a potent story of determination, love and loyalty that is really a most enjoyable watch.