15.03.2025
Text: Burcu Teker - Illustration: Naz Tansel
From behind the camera to the frontline of resistance: Sahra Mani
Coming from a region where being a woman is an act of defiance, Sahra Mani is a Kabul-born activist and filmmaker dedicated to amplifying the voices of Afghan women and shedding light on the harsh realities they endure. She calls upon the world to break its silence. As one of the jury members of the World Shorts section at the 21st Akbank Short Film Festival that will take place between March 17–27, let’s take a closer look at her life journey and her extraordinary resistance in documenting the fight for women’s rights, equality, and justice in Afghanistan.
For Sahra Mani, who grew up as an Afghan refugee in Iran, it all began when her mother gave her a camera at a young age. As she captured the people and moments that moved her, she also immersed herself in world literature. The more she read, the more she transformed and discovered herself. Her father introduced her to documentaries, and Nanook of the North by Robert J. Flaherty left the deepest impression on her. After working as a journalist, her path led her to London at age 22, a move that—though she had no initial dreams of filmmaking—unlocked the door to who she would become. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Film from Metropolitan University, graduating with distinction, followed by a Master’s in Documentary Filmmaking at the University of the Arts London (UAL). With her strong foundation in photography, literature, and journalism, she turned fully to documentary filmmaking. She founded Afghanistan Doc House and became a co-founder of the London-based production company Anahat Vision and Films. She describes her drive in the field as follows in her Director’s Statement: “Every woman in this country has a hundred owners. Fathers, brothers, uncles, neighbors. They all believe they have the right to speak on our behalf and make decisions for us. That’s why our stories are never heard, but buried with us.”
“Being feminist is the only option for women who are fighting for their basic rights.”
After several short films, Mani’s first feature-length documentary was inspired by a story she saw on television that she couldn’t shake off: the story of Khatera, a woman who was sexually abused by her father and fought for justice. The result, A Thousand Girls Like Me (2018), confronted an Afghan society unwilling to acknowledge the existence of incest in the Muslim world. The film was met with resistance, threats were made, and calls were issued to halt production. For a long time, neither financial nor moral support was available, until Sundance Film Festival and other institutions intervened. Mani remained steadfast, emphasizing that incest exists in every society, the difference being that in democratic nations, it is openly discussed and prosecuted, while in conservative societies, it is silenced, with survivors labeled as “depraved” or “liars.” Following the film’s release, more survivors came forward to share their experiences. “It’s incredible how a film can have such a powerful impact on society,” says Mani, “We must take documentary filmmaking very seriously.”
Her second feature documentary, which she describes as “more valuable than all of us”, is Bread & Roses—a testament and ode to the resilience and solidarity of Afghan women who lost all their rights under Taliban rule. Produced in collaboration with Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights advocate and education activist Malala Yousafzai, the film carries the voices of Afghan women who entrusted Mani with their stories in the hope of being heard worldwide. When she struggled to find support, Jennifer Lawrence stepped in as an executive producer, helping bring the project to life. The documentary takes its name from the slogan Afghan women chanted in the streets of Kabul, demanding equality and respect. It serves as both a precious historical record and a global call to action, urging the world not to look away from this reality.
For Sahra Mani, who has turned cinema into the frontline of resistance, the greatest reward–beyond the awards she has received–is when a woman finds the courage to raise her voice because of her films, because as we all know, fear thrives on silence. Yet with her commitment to amplify the voice of the unseen she has refused to be silenced—even after receiving numerous death threats leading up to the fall of Kabul. As she continues post-production on a project dedicated to Afghanistan’s only music school, the National Institute of Music (ANIM), which was destroyed by the Taliban and turned into a military base, she is also working on a new animated documentary, Dream of Great Gardens, exploring her mother’s life and her own childhood.