In October 2016, POV asked What Tomorrow Brings filmmaker Beth Murphy what's happened since the camera stopped rolling.
What's happened in the lives of the girls since the film's release? How's the school?
It's an exciting time at the school right now. The Class of 2016 is about to graduate, and I'm thrilled to say that Rihala is one of the girls getting her diploma! There's also a lot of excitement around the building of the Razia Jan Institute, the new two-year college that's been built next to the K-12 Zabuli Education Center. I'm very proud of the fact that the first part of our impact campaign with the film was to raise the funds to build the college. We wanted to help the girls in this community continue their education. Most of them don't have the money--or permission--to leave the village and go to college in the city.
On March 1st, we'll celebrate the college opening. Rihala is planning to study there--as are most of the other graduates from last year and this year. The curriculum will focus on nursing and midwifery which will fill an incredible need in the village --- currently there are no female healthcare workers in Deh'Subz. It's hard to stop filming as these "firsts" continue to happen, and I want to capture them all. Stay tuned for reports from the field that will let you see exactly what's happening!
For Pashtana, life has gone in a different direction. Poverty and early marriages (often driven by poverty as it was in her case) are two of the biggest reasons more than 63 million girls are out of school globally. Sadly, today, Pashtana is one of them. She faced both of those challenges. About a month before she was going to begin 8th grade, she was married in a wedding ceremony with two other couples. It was a way to save money, I was told. I'm sad to say that I've completely lost touch with her--as have her teachers and friends. I've been back to Afghanistan twice since she got married, but haven't been able to se her or talk with her.
Over the years, how have you seen Deh Subz embrace girls' education? What kind of challenges do girls' completing school continue to face?
The school is growing--and I think the numbers support how much the community appreciates the value of girls' education. Razia said to me recently, "These men are not just considering the value of girls' education, but the value, literally, of their daughters' lives." Today, there are almost 600 students at the Zabuli Education Center. It opened in 2008 with 109 students.
How has the film been received in Afghanistan and internationally?
What Razia has done by creating the opportunity for girls to go to school for the first time in this Afghan village is so inspiring to me. And it means so much to me to be able to share her story--and the stories of the girls.
In early October, we celebrated Day of the Girl with a number of screenings around the world - including a screening at the U.S. Embassy Kabul. From screenings like this to ones in schools and at film festivals, we've seen the powerful impact the film is having. School districts have brought parents, kids and teachers together to talk about their hopes and dreams for the future and build stronger more positive relationships. In Cleveland with Facing History and Ourselves, parents, students, teachers and administrators came together to use the film to help inspire a new school culture. One facilitator shared this reflection: "The community is so inspired and engaged...I think it's a turning point in parent -school relations..."
Teachers have used the film in the classroom to help students open their eyes to the world and develop greater compassion and empathy. Geri Bloch said this after sharing What Tomorrow Brings with her students at Solomon Schechter Academy, in Westchester, New York: "My students have had their consciences raised 100%. They all say that today was the best class they ever had."
NGOs and the US government tell us they've been inspired by the way the film highlights the lasting impact sustainable development can have. Audiences at churches, synogogues and mosques have told us they believe in its message of shared humanity.
It's a social issue documentary filmmaker dream come true!
What additional conversations do you hope the public television broadcast of What Tomorrow Brings will spark around girls' education?
For me, it's about conversation that leads to action. One of the most powerful things you can do in this world is to help a girl get an education. Understanding why that's true and understanding what keeps so many girls out of the classroom today - I hope conversations are sparked around those topics, and that people who are inspired to "do something" after watching actually do.
There are easy ways to send a Zabuli student to school through Razia's Ray of Hope Foundation, and lots of other similar programs (although I'm partial to this one!). It's so powerful because when a girl is educated, she's able to improve her own life and the lives of the people around her. She's more likely to earn a decent living and raise children who are healthy and educated. I think we should be shouting that from the highest rooftops! I also think it's important to spread the word to let people know that 63 million girls are still being denied education globally, and to help people understand why girls' education matters. One way to do that is to host a screening of the film in your community or classroom, and let people "meet" these precious girls, hear their stories, and be inspired by their accomplishments.
How can viewers stay up to date with the work school founder Razia Jan?
What are you working on now?
I'm Director of Films at The GroundTruth Project and am working a film series about how women and children are disproportionately impacted by climate change. I think some of the human stories of climate change will surprise people. I'm also in post-production on two films: #LiveLikeHaris - about a young pilot who is on an extraordinary mission to fly around the world in a single engine plane and build schools in rural Pakistan; and Son of Saichi, the story of a nuclear refugee family in Fukushima.