By James White | Posted 16 May 2017

At a time when animated movies seem to be made on the flimsiest of premises, it's nice to know that the people behind such delights as The Secret Of Kells and Song Of The Sea are continuing to turn out handcrafted, visually sumptuous work. The latest from Cartoon Saloon is The Breadwinner.

Adapted from Deborah Ellis' young adult novel by Anita Doron, The Breadwinner follows 11-year-old Parvana, who lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital city during the Taliban rule. Parvana's father – a history teacher until his school was bombed and his health destroyed – works from a blanket on the ground in the marketplace, reading letters for people who cannot read or write. One day he is arrested for the crime of having a foreign education, and the family is left without someone who can earn money or even shop for food. As conditions in the family grow desperate, only one solution emerges: forbidden by the Taliban government to earn money as a girl, Parvana must transform herself into a boy and become the breadwinner.

Nora Twomey is in the director's chair for the film, which boasts Angelina Jolie as one of its executive producers. "I am proud to be a part of this beautiful film with this timely and very important subject matter,” Jolie says in a statement. “Millions of girls around the world have to grow up before their time, working to provide for their families at a very young age and in difficult circumstances. They have the strength to do what no one should ask little girls to do. I hope this film is able to bring this discussion to a broader audience. As much as it is an important and very meaningful film, it also stands on its own as a great piece of art. Director Nora Twomey and her team have done something very special. They have breathed life into the characters and paid respect to the subject matter and to a country where women often struggle."

The movie will be out in the US this autumn, but has yet to announce a UK date. Perhaps it'll follow the pattern of Song Of The Sea and arrive here on the heels of an Oscar nomination...

Song Of The Sea Review

The Secret Of Kells Review