FILM - Afghan Cycles

“If we do not stand up for ourselves, nobody will.”
Tahira, Bamiyan Cycling Team Member, Afghanistan

Following a new generation of young Afghan women cyclists, Afghan Cycles uses the bicycle to tell a story of women's rights - human rights - and the struggles faced by Afghan women on a daily basis, from discrimination to abuse, to the oppressive silencing of their voices in all aspects of contemporary society. These women ride despite cultural barriers, despite infrastructure, and despite death threats, embracing the power and freedom that comes with the sport.

Afghan Cycles spans a four-year period, from 2013 to 2017. As the stories of these brave women develop and evolve, the security situation in Afghanistan worsens. Women bear the brunt of this shift, and as Afghanistan deals with growing security threats, it jeopardizes these female riders and Afghan women as a whole.

Documentary/Afghanistan/France/USA/Dari/90 mins/2018
Director: Sarah Menzies
Producer: Sarah Menzies, Shannon Galpin, Caryn Capotosto, Anna Brones, Jenny Nichols