Based on a true story, Bill Guttentag’s rousing drama attests to the resilience of women who dare to dream despite draconian social strictures. The film follows Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri), a trailblazing coach and businesswoman in Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) who assembles a robotics team of Afghan girls for international competitions. The young dreamers hail from different walks of life but they all share the same zest for engineering. They face the same dangers too; in a country where women are not encouraged or even allowed to pursue higher levels of education, their quest for medals sees opposition from their own families as well as public scorn from conservatives.
Rule Breakers is at its most thrilling during the competition sequences, which splice together real-life documentary footage of the events with fictional re-enactments. (There’s even an appearance from Phoebe Waller-Bridge as a host.) A breathless enthusiasm thrums through the film, as the camera swirls around the young competitors, all energised by their love for science. These spaces are portrayed as a haven that encourages camaraderie rather than competitiveness, and in a world divided by military conflicts and war, they offer a utopiian vision of international collaboration and solidarity.
When it comes to the darker aspects of the story, though, Rule Breakers is less assured. Except for minor scenes depicting the girls’ rejection for American visas, the film rarely grapples with the war in Afghanistan and its effects on women. From external funding to newspaper coverage, the film sets up a dichotomy between western support and domestic oppression, but this is a distinction that requires more political nuance considering the legacy of American interventionism in the region. While spirited in parts, the journey taken by this extraordinary robotics team deserves a more layered storytelling approach than that of a feelgood movie.
Rule Breakers is on digital platforms from 17 November.
