Sadaf Rahimi is the best female boxer in Afghanistan, but she must deal with her country’s traditions, fear and her own fate in order to be a free woman. Sadaf and her sister Shabnam joined the newly created women’s boxing team at the age of 13, when they returned to their country after being refugees in Iran. Her boxing and academic achievements will turn Sadaf into an example for many Afghan young women, but her path will not be without threats and difficulties.

“Boxing for Freedom” is about women's empowerment and so the directors gave to Sadaf a camera to film part of her story. The documentary brings together the voices of the most progressive Afghan women in a turning point for Afghanistan because the rights of women are retreating. The documentary was filmed on location in Kabul (Afghanistan) during 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Direction: Juan Antonio Moreno, Silvia Venegas

Script: Juan Antonio Moreno, Silvia Venegas

Production: Silvia Venegas, Juan Antonio Moreno,

Cinematography: Alberto González

Editing: Nacho Ruiz Capillas

Production Design: Silvia Venegas, Juan Antonio Moreno

Sound: Amador Moreno

Cast: Sadaf Rahimi, Shabnam Rahimi, Salima Rahimi, Sabir Sharifi, Nahida Yousufi

Original Title: BOXING FOR FREEDOM

Original Language: Persian

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Film Production Country: Spain

Website: www.boxingforfreedom.com

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/BoxingforFreedom

Statement of the Director/s
BOXING FOR FREEDOM is a film in favour of individual freedom and against the traditions imposed by the society. We met Sadaf Rahimi in 2011 in Kabul during the production of another documentary in Afghanistan. Her story and personality, along with her parents and sisters’ character, made of her an extraordinary Afghan young girl. To such an extent that when she was 13 she joined the brand new Afghan boxing team without the consent of her parents.

Sadaf is not only the best female boxer in Afghanistan, but she also represents the empowerment of a new generation of Afghan women. It is not common to meet girls like Sadaf in Kabul, much less in the rest of the country. Besides, her personal story is linked with the last 20 years of Afghan history.

Sadaf is not only young, but brave and humble, that is why she became a symbol of struggle for the human rights of afghan women and she has also been recognised by the most progressive women in the country. Our documentary brings together the voices of these women that they are also mothers, teachers, activists or sportwomen.

We decided to give Sadaf a camera during the shooting to empower her even more so that she could decide what to film and show us. The shooting began when Sadaf was 17 years old and it has finished four years later. During this time Sadaf has been aware of her role in the Afghan society and she has faced her destiny becoming a model for other young girls.

BOXING FOR FREEDOM highlights the importance of the family and the school as core of protection and development of the individual freedom.

BOXING FOR FREEDOM has been shown at many international film festivals as The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) F.F., International Documentary F.F. Miradasdoc, Festival du Film Espagnol de Toulouse, Women Make Waves, Cine Invisible, China Women's F.F., Rizoma F.F., Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival Myanmar, Festival Internacional de Cine de Derechos Humanos Buenos Aires, International Madrid Documentary Festival. Documentamadrid, Festival de Málaga Cine Español, Silk Road International F.F., Muestra Internacional de Cine y Mujeres, Muestra de Cine de Zaragoza and International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights Switzerland.

Telling Sadaf’s story was not easy, but as well as she did, we have also learnt to overcome the fear, to face new obstacles and to fight for our dreams even in the worst possible scenarios.

Juan Antonio Moreno and Silvia Venegas

Biography of the Director/s
JUAN ANTONIO MORENO AMADOR

Born in Talavera la Real (Spain) on 1982. The media work of filmmaker Juan Antonio Moreno explores the struggle for freedom and dignity in conflict situations.

He has directed and produced documentary films that has been awarded and selected in national and international festivals. Among his works we can count "Youth and Drugs" (Reina Sofía Award in the Social Communication category, 2007), "Kosovo, the Last Scar of the Balkans" (Bárbara Ansón Award to Social and Cultural Documentaries, 2009), "The Children of Mama Wata", "Kafana" and "Walls" (Goya Award for Best Short Documentary 2015).

He has been selected to participate in the Berlinale Talent Campus at Berlinale 2015, in the Generator Forum for young european filmmakers and at the Producer Network at Cannes Film Festival. His projects have been selected to participate in the Coproduction Forum at Festival Clermont-Ferrand, at San Sebastian Film Festival, at Sunny Side of the DOC and at MIPDOC.

Moreno worked at the Spanish Public Television (TVE) and he studied Journalism and International Relations. He completed his education in the Film and Television School in San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba. He is a founding member of the Madrid-based production company Making DOC.

SILVIA VENEGAS VENEGAS

Documentary film director and producer. Silvia Venegas has directed documentaries that delve into the stories of people who rebel against their fate.

In 2010 she founded the specialized in documentary film production company Making DOC. Her productions have been backed by MEDIA, ICAA and Ibermedia and have been selected and awarded at festivals both nationally and worldwide.

She was born in Santa Marta de los Barros (Spain) in 1982. She studied History, Journalism and Media Studies. She is currently Executive Producer at Making DOC.

She was selected to take part in the Berlinale Talent Campus, in the IDFAcademy and in the Foro Generator.

She has directed the documentaries “Prescription Art” (Making DOC, 2015) and she also co-directed "Boxing for Freedom" (Making DOC, 2015), which won a Biznaga de Plata award at the Málaga Film Festival, and “The Children of Mama Wata” (Making DOC, 2010). She is Executive Producer of "Walls", Goya 2015 for best short documentary film, and she worked as scriptwriter in the documentaries "Life Beyond the Battle" (Making DOC, 2011) and "Kosovo, the last scar of the Balkans" (Noestamosdepaso, 2007).

Awards Won
Festival de Málaga Cine Español / Málaga (Spain) / 2015/ Silver Biznaga Award. Affirming women’s rights Section.

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