Download the press release here.
Documentary Showcasing Faith and Family to Broadcast Monday, July 23, 2018 on POV
In one of the most dangerous places on earth, where the Taliban maintains a substantial presence, a young woman faces obstacles to pursue a simple passion: sports. Born and raised in Pakistan’s mountainous tribal region of Waziristan, Maria Toorpakai is the country’s top female squash player. Yet she has had to hide her talents from the Taliban, which is strongly—and violently—opposed to women in sports. At a young age, she disguised herself as a boy so she could play, only to be plagued by death threats from the radical extremist group.
Directed by Erin Heidenreich, The War to Be Her premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and makes its national broadcast on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org on Monday, July 23 at 10 p.m. POV is American television’s longest-running documentary series now in its 31st season. The feature film will be accompanied by the short film Beatrice, a portrait about a Paralympic champion and the only fencer in the world who competes without arms or legs.
Told from Toorpakai’s point of view, The War to Be Her volleys between an adrenaline-pumped tournament and the young woman’s precarious—and sometimes dangerous—life in Waziristan.
“A woman cannot walk without a shawl, cannot walk without a man beside her,” explains Toorpakai. “Women are so scared to say anything or show their emotions, because they know they’re going to get killed.”
She adds, “Playing sports is an extreme act. I broke all the laws and God helped me in that.”
In an early scene, Toorpakai looks at photos of her younger self—often dressed in typically masculine clothes—and recounts her early struggles.
“I wanted to play outside with boys, running around freely. I didn’t want to just sit at one place for hours and hours, playing with dolls at home. So I took all my clothes outside—my frocks, my girly dresses—I took them all outside and burned them.”
When Toorpakai’s success in squash catapulted her into the national spotlight, the Taliban, angered that a girl from Waziristan was playing sports, came after her. For the safety of her family, the children at the squash courts and her own safety, she stopped playing squash from age 16 to 19. But Maria never gave up on her dream; she sent hundreds of emails to squash coaches and organizations looking for a way out. Eventually, one person answered her email and she moved to Canada to train at the National Squash Academy in Toronto.
“Since I moved to Canada, my squash improved a lot,” Toorpakai says.
While living in Canada, Toorpakai stays in touch with her close-knit family, which includes her mother, an older sister, four brothers and her father, Shamsul, who appears to be just as rebellious as she is.
“I told [the Taliban] I disinherited her. She went abroad and I won’t allow her to come back,” Shamsul recounts at one point. “I played a trick on them and said this in order to get rid of them.”
The War to Be Her is Heidenreich’s feature directorial debut.
“When I was filming in the tribal areas of Pakistan, Maria brought girls to the squash court who were covered, shy and unsure of themselves. But when they began to play squash and picked up their rackets they hit with such strength that, for the first time, I felt the visceral sensation of what it means to truly see a girl become empowered. Playing and participating in games is natural to all kids. Allowing girls to fully posses their power within their bodies as well is a necessity,” Heidenreich said.
“This is a story that’s not only about Maria, but about all the things that her family members do to support her and that she in turn does to support them living in this extremely conservative society,” Heidenreich said.
The filmmaker added, “The thing that I really hope with this film is that when people can connect with Maria and her family, they see that they are led by their faith to do good and to do right in the world and to help people out. I think that on a basic level, we just don’t see enough of that in the world.”
“In a time when gender rights are at the forefront of global discussion, The War to Be Her is a timely testament to the tenacity and talent of girls and women everywhere,” said Justine Nagan, executive producer/executive director of POV/American Documentary. “On top of that, Heidenreich captures a loving and caring family committed to their faith and their daughter’s dreams. As a window for millions of Americans into other parts of the world, it’s important that POV showcases these positive, empowering stories.”
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About the Filmmakers:
Erin Heidenreich, Director
Erin Heidenreich’s feature directorial documentary debut, The War to Be Her, premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and garnered awards at film festivals around the world. She directed and produced the award-winning short documentary Rising Sons and has supported other female-driven narratives and filmmakers by producing The Other Shore, Made in India and Mission Congo.
Previously, Heidenreich co-founded the New York-based film consultancy Cinetic Media , where she worked on such films as Little Miss Sunshine, Napoleon Dynamite and Bowling for Columbine. She then moved to a small town in China and subsequently spent many years living abroad. She developed a passion for telling unconventional stories about gender stereotypes and following a heart-centered curiosity to some of the most dangerous places on earth. Originally from a small town in Wisconsin, Heidenreich is a graduate of Northwestern University and currently lives in Los Angeles.
Credits:
Director: Erin Heidenreich; Producers: Cassandra Sanford-Rosenthal, Jouri Smit, Matthew J. Malek, Jonathon Power; Editor: Christina Burchard; Original Music by: Qasim Naqvi; Executive Producers for POV: Justine Nagan, Chris White
About Beatrice:
Beatrice Vio cultivated a passion for fencing when she was five years old. At 11, she contracted severe meningitis. In the hospital, the doctors gave her an unimaginable choice: Keep her limbs and risk death, or amputate all four to ensure survival. She chose life. Now, Vio is a Paralympic champion and the only fencer in the world who competes without arms or legs.
Beatrice credits: Director: Lorena Alvarado; Producer: Chiara Codognotto Capuzzo; Writer: Karen Oetling; Cinematographer: Shek Po Kwan; Camera: Mattia Mura; Music and Sound Design: Antti L.S. Ikonen; Voiceover recording: Lorenzo Vio
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Produced by American Documentary, Inc., POV is public television’s premier showcase for nonfiction films. Since 1988, POV has been the home for the world’s boldest contemporary filmmakers, celebrating intriguing personal stories that spark conversation and inspire action. Always an innovator, POV discovers fresh new voices and creates interactive experiences that shine a light on social issues and elevate the art of storytelling. With our documentary broadcasts, original online programming and dynamic community engagement campaigns, we are committed to supporting films that capture the imagination and present diverse perspectives.
POV films have won 37 Emmy® Awards, 21 George Foster Peabody Awards, 12 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, three Academy Awards®, the first-ever George Polk Documentary Film Award and the Prix Italia. The POV series has been honored with a Special News & Documentary Emmy Award for Excellence in Television Documentary Filmmaking, three IDA Awards for Best Curated Series and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers Award for Corporate Commitment to Diversity. Learn more at www.pbs.org/pov/.
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POV’s Community Engagement and Education team works with educators, community organizations and PBS stations to present more than 800 free screenings every year. In addition, we distribute free discussion guides and standards-aligned lesson plans for each of our films. With our community partners, we inspire dialogue around the most important social issues of our time.
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Since 1994, POV Spark has driven new storytelling initiatives and interactive production for POV. The department has continually experimented with web-based documentaries, producing PBS’ first program website and the first Snapchat-native documentary. It has won major awards for its work, including a Webby Award and over 19 nominations. Now with a singular focus on incubating and distributing interactive productions, POV Spark continues to explore the future of independent nonfiction media through its co-productions, acquisitions and the POV Labs, where media makers and technologists collaborate to reinvent storytelling forms.
American Documentary, Inc. (www.amdoc.org)
American Documentary, Inc. (AmDoc) is a multimedia company dedicated to creating, identifying and presenting contemporary stories that express opinions and perspectives rarely featured in mainstream media outlets. AmDoc is a catalyst for public culture, developing collaborative strategic engagement activities around socially relevant content on television, online and in community settings. These activities are designed to trigger action, from dialogue and feedback to educational opportunities and community participation.
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