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Deep Dive: Sonita (2015)

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Sonita
Sonita is a documentary about Sonita Alizadeh, a 15-year-old Afghan rapper and refugee living in Tehran. Directed by Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami, the film follows Alizadeh over a three-year period as she navigates life as an undocumented refugee after fleeing the Taliban in Herat, Afghanistan. The narrative focuses on her aspirations to become a musician while facing familial pressures, including attempts by her relatives to sell her into marriage. Ghaemmaghami's intervention in Alizadeh's life, including paying her relatives $2,000 to delay her marriage and helping her secure a scholarship in the United States, adds complexity to the film. This involvement sparked controversy regarding the ethical boundaries between filmmaker and subject. The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, winning both the World Documentary Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award.

Why Watch

  • •Meet Sonita Alizadeh, a talented Afghan rapper.
  • •Follow Sonita's fight against forced marriage.
  • •See the impact of a filmmaker's intervention.

Did You Know

•Sonita Alizadeh was 15 years old when the film was made in 2015.
•Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami paid $2,000 to delay Sonita's marriage.
•The film won the World Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2016.
•Sonita Alizadeh fled the Taliban in Herat, Afghanistan as a child.

Perfect For

Afghan cultureMusic activismDocumentary filmmaking