SYNOPSIS

In August 2021, after approximately 20 years of war, the victorious Taliban entered Kabul, dragging the promise of a new era of obscurantism behind them. The Afghan population that had started to emancipate itself now faced a return to repression. This threat was particularly strong for women, sportsmen and sportswomen who are considered to be deviant. The women’s cycling team, which was created in 2010 and invited to compete in various international competitions was in danger. In a society built on the Koranic law, cycling is forbidden for women. Cycling is considered a sin, a dishonour for which punishment can go as far as the death penalty. Faced with the urgency of the situation, an Israeli Canadian billionaire, philanthropist and passionate cyclist decided to secretly put in place an evacuation plan with a group of local influential women and men to help professional cyclists flee the country. The exfiltration operation would plunge the sportswomen and their families into an adventure worthy of a spy movie.

Chief editor and director, Alain Rimbert first worked for the program Le Vrai Journal de Karl Zéro before turning to documentary filmmaking in France and internationally. He has directed several medium-length and short fiction films that have won awards at international festivals, including Methane Momma — which opened the Philip K. Dick Film Festival in New York — with Melvin Van Peebles, the famous American actor and director known for Sweet Sweetback's Baadaasssss Song.

DIRECTORS

CREDITS

Directors : Alain Rimbert et Matteo Born

Written by Alain Rimbert

DOP : Matteo Born

Editing : Alain Rimbert

Music : Michele Vassalli

Produced by : Tipimages Productions et Lila Production

International seller : Journeyman

Matteo Born is a Swiss director born in 1990. He studied cinema in England and graduated in 2015 at the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London. He worked five years for an RSI program called Storie : 52’ documentaries on strong human stories. After 2020, he moved back to his homeland in French-speaking Switzerland and started to collaborate with RTS, especially for the program Temps Présent and other international players, as ARTE.