“I want to tell girls, fear is taught; that you are born free and you are born brave.” - Maria Toorpakai, film subject, Girl Unbound
In Waziristan, Pakistan, Maria Toorpakai, with the help of her progressive father, Shamsul, defies strict Taliban law forbidding women to play sports by disguising herself as a boy to practice and compete in squash tournaments. But when she becomes a rising star, her gender is revealed, forcing Maria to leave her home and country after constant death threats to both herself and her family. In Girl Unbound, we join Maria on her journey to represent Pakistan on the national team, standing firm in her mission to carve her own identity and destiny with the support of her loving family.
Bluebird, part of publishers Pan Macmillan, will be selling the book A Different Kind of Daughter: The Girl Who Hid From the Taliban in Plain Sight by Maria Toorpakai and Katharine Holstein with Maria Toorpakai signing books after both screenings of Girl Unbound in London.
