In the face of exile, five Afghan women’s commitment to freedom and equality empowers them to take the world stage and reclaim their homeland. Through a series of honest conversations, these extraordinary rebels reveal the deeply personal history of Afghanistan in all its complexity, beauty and struggle.

Filmmaker Brishkay Ahmed returns to Reelworld’s 25th season with In the Room, a documentary that begins as a character study of Afghan women she admires. With each interview, it evolves into a layered and urgent conversation about the struggles Afghan women have endured, and continue to face, while delivering a stark warning: “Yesterday they came for me. Tomorrow they will come for you.”

Set against 20 years of Afghan history, the film traces how women’s rights briefly gained international attention in 2001, only to be overshadowed by the events of 9/11. The years that followed brought education, hope, and a fragile sense of freedom—all of which were stripped away again on August 15, 2021, with the Taliban’s seizure.

Brishkay previously explored the resilience of Afghan women in In the Rumbling Belly of Motherland, where she followed Kabul’s women-run news network during the final months before the Taliban takeover. With In the Room, she continues to create space for women to speak truth to power — and for us to listen. -REELWORLD

Doors Open 30 Minutes Before Showtime.