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In the tribal areas of Pakistan, a young girl defies strict Taliban law to play sport and become a world-class athlete.
Receiving a standing ovation at its TIFF premiere, Girl Unbound tells the story of rising squash star Maria Toorpakai. As a child growing up in the Taliban stronghold of Waziristan, where women's rights are strictly curtailed, Maria disguised herself as a boy in order to participate in sports. When her gender is revealed, she's forced to leave her home – under a barrage of constant death threats – and move to Canada to play squash on the international stage.
The film charts her journey back to her homeland to represent Pakistan on the national team, where we meet her remarkable and progressive family and learn of the constant danger facing those who dare to tread a different path.
'Tense and gripping...an inspiring act of resistance.' – POV Magazine
