Have you seen what is happening at Hot Docs? The big line-ups full theatres. This means one thing. The films are great! Here are 4 more incredible docs that will change you view of things. Great stories – real life. What we wondered is how did the filmmakers make them! Director Rosie Dransfeld, Who Cares, stopped by our studio to give some insight into just that. Look for our very personal inside interview with her posting shortly.

The Boxing Girls of Kabul

Hot Docs – Christophe Chanel

From the opening scene, it’s clear that Ariel Nasr’s film, The Boxing Girls of Kabul, is about much more than boxing, it’s about the struggles of girls in Kabul and the future of Afghanistan. Under Taliban rule, women were forbidden to participate in sports and, because of this Taliban regime, Afghanistan was banned from participating in the games until 2002, following the fall of the Taliban regime. Even after the fall of the Taliban, the sad truth is that girls who pursue a sport may be kidnapped by Islamist radicals and subsequently harmed.

Despite the risks, Shahla, Shabnam and Sadaf train hard, inspired by their tenacious coach Sabir Sharifi, who was once an Olympic contender. They train hard, participate in international tournaments, and dream of winning a medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Sadaf is a talented 16-year-old boxer who is not afraid of Afghan Television’s cameras. She tries to set an example to inspire other women in her country to compete in sports.

The Boxing Girls of Kabul reveals a compelling journey of both personal and political transformation, and illustrates the transformative power of fighting for what you believe in.

The World Before Her

Hot Docs - Christophe Chanel

Extreme attitudes towards women in India are laid bare in Nisha Pahuja’s quietly shocking doc. The opening sequence of The World Before Her cuts sharply between “ultramodern” models and the “ultra traditional” Hindu Nationalism “Hindutva” campers, where both sides are left wondering where women’s liberation lies in India.

On the one hand, there is the Miss India pageant contest where twenty young women from across India arrive for an intense, month-long beauty boot camp. Winning the title means instant fame, a lucrative career path and freedom from the constraints of a patriarchal society.