The acclaimed documentary In the Room, which won the 2025 Audience Award — Showcase at the Vancouver International Film Festival, is set to become available for free streaming on the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) website starting November 25.
A Platform for Powerful Voices
This feature-length film by Vancouver-based Afghan expatriate filmmaker Brishkay Ahmed brings viewers into intimate conversations with five prominent Afghan women. The discussions delve into themes of resilience, cultural identity, and the critical fight for women's rights in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
The participants include a singer, a director, and activists, among them Vida Samadzai, the first Afghan participant in an international pageant in 30 years when she competed in Miss Earth 2003, and Shogofa Sediqi, the former news director of Zan TV, Afghanistan's pioneering all-women television network.
The Filmmaker's Mission
Brishkay Ahmed, who was born in Kabul and moved to Canada at age 12, has built a career focused on narratives of female empowerment. Her previous works, such as In the Rumbling Belly of Motherland and Story of Burqa, established her commitment to telling stories about women's struggles for freedom and equality. She frequently returned to Afghanistan to work as a film and television director before the Taliban's return to power.
In a recent interview, Ahmed shared insights from the film's reception on the festival circuit. "One of the prevailing comments has been: I had no idea just how much Afghan women have lost," she revealed. The documentary effectively illustrates the historical moment when women's rights were systematically rolled back, surprising many younger viewers who had only associated Afghan women with the image of the blue burqa.
A Cautionary Tale and a Call to Action
Ahmed emphasized that the film carries a universal message for women everywhere. "The simple fact that no rights are guaranteed," she stated, pointing out that the erosion of women's rights often begins when political leaders negotiate with religious fundamentalists. She expressed concern that similar patterns are emerging even in Western nations, making the film's message urgently relevant.
When asked what she hopes audiences take away from In the Room, Ahmed offered a powerful analogy: "I hope that audiences step out of the theatre committed to protecting the freedoms they have here... It's sort of the airplane crash prep plan. You have to put the mask and life vest on before you can help another person." She stressed that maintaining strong democracies and human rights in Western countries is essential to effectively supporting women and girls in nations like Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria.
The filmmaker's selection of the five women profiled was deeply personal. "Choosing the women was very easy," Ahmed explained. "All five women became role models for me. Each of their actions and their brave identity fuelled my interest to get to know my Afghan identity." She shared that these women helped her overcome the shame she felt growing up as an Afghan woman in the West, transforming her perception of her heritage from one associated with victimhood to one of strength and pride.
