When the Taliban took power, men tried to outlaw Afghan women’s basic liberties entirely, forcing them to go through life veiled, usually indoors, excluded from education, employment and sports. Afghan Girls Can Kick follows a group of teenagers who rebelled against great opposition to secure themselves the opportunity to play football. Battling both poverty and sexism, the film shows how these women were able to overcome powerful resistance and ultimately establish Afghanistan’s first national women’s football team, gaining power and purpose in the process. The film follows the team in the aftermath of an invitation to play in Pakistan—their first international match—focusing on trip preparations and a few individual players such as Roya, who collected paper on the streets of Kabul until an organization sent her to school and discovered her huge football talent. Hosseini’s film offers rare insight into the lives of these fun-loving, athletic women—not victims, but women fighting for their future. -KA