Facing the Dragon

In this documentary, the director followed the lives of two extraordinary Afghan women for four years: Nilofar, a member of parliament, and Shakila, a television journalist. The withdrawal of American forces and international aid to Afghanistan leaves democracy and women’s recent victories hanging by a thread, so Nilofar and Shakila must choose between motherhood and their professional ambitions in the face of growing threats to them and their families.

Sedika Mojadidi is an independent film director, producer and screenwriter. She was born in Afghanistan but grew up in Florida. In 2006 she directed her first documentary Motherland Afghanistan, which follows her father’s struggle to make a difference in maternal mortality in the country. Over the past decade Sedika has produced and directed several projects for television networks such as Discovery Channel and Humans Rights Watch, A&E, TLC, New York Times Television, ABC News and The Guardian Multimedia. She has done several shoots in Afghanistan since 2003. She currently teaches Film and Television at the Savannah College of Art and Design.