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Jennifer Lawrence and Malala Yousafzai shed light on Afghan women’s fight for freedom in new film
A powerful new documentary is exposing the harsh realities faced by women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. The film, “Bread and Roses,” is directed by Afghan filmmaker Sahra Mani, produced by Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence and executive produced by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai.
Mani details the grim reality faced by millions of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, which drew the attention of Lawrence in 2021.
“My first reaction when watching that was to do what the Taliban did not want us to do, which was give access and facilities to the people on the ground to capture what was happening on the ground in real-time,” she said. “Because obviously the Taliban flourishes in secrecy.”
Some of the strict limitations imposed on women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule include prohibiting women from working, pursuing education, or even leaving their homes without a male escort. They are also barred from singing, playing music, making films, and, more recently, dining at restaurants or purchasing food in public.
Lawrence and her producing partner, Justine Ciarrocchi, set out to reveal these realities in Afghanistan through the eyes of Afghan women. They enlisted Mani to direct the documentary and Yousafzai joined the project as an executive producer to help amplify its message.
When asked why the Taliban opposes women’s education, Yousafzai said, “We have been trying to figure out an answer to that for the past 30 years…I cannot find any explanation that justifies it to me. How can you stop a girl from her school? They come up with these excuses that it’s culture, it’s religion. There is no culture, excuse. The true representatives of that culture are the Afghan women and girls that we’ve seen in the documentary.”
The documentary follows three Afghan women who secretly filmed their protests. Mani said she wanted to capture the intimate moment of their life and give people an opportunity to see what life is like for Afghan woman under a Taliban dictatorship. But she also wanted to encourage by highlighting their strength.
It’s a reality that Lawrence said would be difficult to experience.
“I can’t imagine not being able to take a taxi or being able to listen to music. I can’t imagine if just the sound of my voice was illegal,” she said.
Lawrence, known for her activism, acknowledged the dangers of speaking out but said the stakes were too high to stay silent.
“There’s 20 million women whose lives are in danger,” she said.
Yousafzai, who survived a Taliban attack in 2012, reflected on the ongoing fight for women’s rights.
“What really shook me was the fact that people stand with you once you have survived, but we don’t look at people who are still under a big threat,” she said. “Let’s share our solidarity with them.”
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Saturday is the winter solstice and 2024’s shortest day. Here’s what to know about the official start of winter.
The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens on Saturday, Dec. 21, in the Northern Hemisphere. The celestial event signifies the first day of winter, astronomically.
What is the winter solstice?
The winter solstice is the day each year that has the shortest period of daylight between sunrise and sunset, and therefore the longest night. It happens when the sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn, a line of latitude that circles the globe south of the equator, the National Weather Service explains.
The farther north you are, the shorter the day will be, and in the Arctic Circle, the sun won’t rise at all.
How is the day of the winter solstice determined?
The winter solstice occurs because of the Earth’s tilt as it rotates around the sun.
When the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun, the nights last longer. The longest night happens on the solstice because the hemisphere is in its furthest position from the sun. That occurs each year on Dec. 21 or 22.
This year, it falls on Dec. 21 at 4:21 a.m ET, to be precise.
On the summer solstice, when the northern tilt is closest to the sun, we have the longest day, usually June 20 or 21.
National Weather Service
The solstices are not always exactly on the 21st every year because the earth’s rotation around the sun is 365.25 days, instead of 365 even.
Will days start getting longer after the winter solstice?
Yes. Each day after the solstice, we get one minute more of sunlight. It doesn’t sound like much, but after just two months, or around 60 days, we’ll be seeing about an hour more of sunlight.
When will winter officially be over in 2025?
The meteorological winter ends on March 20, 2025. Then, spring will last until June 20, when the summer solstice arrives.
How is the winter solstice celebrated around the world?
Nations and cultures around the world have celebrated the solstice since ancient times with varying rituals and traditions. The influence of those solstice traditions can still be seen in our celebrations of holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah, Britannica notes.
The ancient Roman Saturnalia festival celebrated the end of the planting season and has close ties with modern-day Christmas. It honored Saturn, the god of harvest and farming. The multiple-day affair had lots of food, games and celebrations. Presents were given to children and the poor, and slaves were allowed to stop working.
Gatherings are held every year at Stonehenge, a monumental circle of massive stones in England that dates back about 5,000 years. The origins of Stonehenge are shrouded in mystery, but it was built to align with the sun on solstice days.
Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images
The Hopi, a Native American tribe in the northern Arizona area, celebrate the winter solstice with dancing, purification and sometimes gift-giving. A sacred ritual known as the Soyal Ceremony marks the annual milestone.
In Peru, people honor the return of the sun god on the winter solstice. The ancient tradition would be to hold sacrificial ceremonies, but today, people hold mock sacrifices to celebrate. Because Peru is in the Southern Hemisphere, their winter solstice happens in June, when the Northern Hemisphere is marking its summer solstice.
Scandinavia celebrates St. Lucia’s Day, a festival of lights.
The “arrival of winter,” or Dong Zhi, is a Chinese festival where family gathers to celebrate the year so far. Traditional foods include tang yuan, sweet rice balls with a black sesame filling. It’s believed to have its origins in post-harvest celebrations.
Researchers stationed in in Antarctica even have their own traditions, which may include an icy plunge into the polar waters. They celebrate “midwinter” with festive meals, movies and sometimes homemade gifts.
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