To celebrate International Women’s Day today, the team behind the documentary film Afghan Cycles released it online for everyone to watch (you can find it on iTunes, Amazon, etc.). Afghan Cycles takes a look at a new generation of Afghan women pushing gender and cultural barriers by riding bicycles.
The film follows a diverse and growing group of women who are risking their honor and their lives for the joy and liberation of riding a bicycle. From rural cycling clubs to a National Cycling Team, these women are ushering in a new era for a country slowly awakening to global influence and inevitable cultural change.
Intertwined, their stories lead you on a journey into a country of beauty and contradictions, through decades of upheaval and repression, to today; their innocent act of revolution a harbinger of a brighter future for women in traditionally male-dominated societies around the globe.
I truly believe in the power of bikes to help transform women’s lives. If you want to watch some other relevant movies, check out:
Wadjda
A young Saudi girl signs on for her school’s Koran recitation competition as a way to raise the remaining funds she needs in order to buy the green bicycle that has captured her heart.
Ovarian Psycos
Ovaria Psycos is about a new generation of fierce, unapologetic, and feminist women of color from the Eastside of Los Angeles who confront injustice, build community, and redefine identity through a raucous, irreverently name bicycle crew.
What are some of your other favorite women and bikes movies?