Squash Star’s Story Premiers at Toronto International Film Festival

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The story of one of the most inspirational squash players of all time was unveiled last week at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Girl Unbound: The War to be Her – starring Pakistan’s Maria Toorpakai Wazir – premiered at the major global film festival.

Girl Unbound: The War to be Her tells the story of World No.62 Toorpakai, who fought against gender barricades imposed upon her in her home region of Waziristan – where women are forbidden by the Taliban from playing sports – to become Pakistan’s greatest ever female squash player.

Directed by filmmaker Erin Heidenreich, the film follows Toorpakai as she represents Pakistan despite death threats made by the Taliban against her and her family, the latter of whom are forced to relocate to the safety of Islamabad.

Girl Unbound: The War to be Her takes audiences from Toronto, Canada, where Toorpakai trains with former World Champion Jonathon Power, to Pakistan, where she defies the threats to take a road trip with sister and local politician, Ayesha Gulalai, in a moving documentary that exposes audiences to the realities of living in a region that exists under the totalitarian rule of men and where women’s rights are nonexistent.

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“Seeing so many people moved by the movie and to see the emotion that they all had was amazing and I’m very thankful to everyone for being so kind,” said Toorpakai following the premier.

“I come from an area that is lawless, where the Taliban have control. It was forbidden for girls to play sport so I disguised myself as a boy and competed as a boy when I was young because my family were very supportive and my father, unlike most men in the area, educated my sisters and I.

“It was only when I was sixteen that I started to grow my hair and look more like a girl – at that time I was also performing well internationally which is when the death threats started coming to my family.

“But I have seen so many girls who are scared of becoming teenagers because that means they will be married off – they are seen as a burden to their family and have no future. They have no voice, and I think it is important to let the world know that women deserve to be heard.”

PSA Deputy Chairman Ashley Bernhard said: “Maria is one of the most influential squash players in history and opens up about her triumphs through extreme circumstances in Girl Unbound: The War to be Her.

“Her incredible story showcases her indomitable spirit and mental fortitude in the face of extreme adversity and is sure to inspire women around the world to empower themselves and fight for what is right.

“Maria has long been an extraordinary role model and I am delighted to see that her ongoing efforts to represent the sport of squash and women’s rights has resulted in her being able to share her story on a stage as big as the Toronto International Film Festival.”

You can watch the Girl Unbound: The War To Be Her trailer below

GIRL UNBOUND: THE WAR TO BE HER_TRAILER from Brian Brinkman on Vimeo.