NEW YORK (March 12, 2025) — “Rule Breakers,” in theaters now, tells the true, inspiring story of Afghan tech entrepreneur, HRF friend, and Oslo Freedom Forum speaker Roya Mahboob, who took the great risk of teaching young girls in Afghanistan about technology and robotics.
The film focuses on the Afghan Dreamers, the country’s first all-girls robotics team, who make it to an international competition after being brought together and taught by Mahboob, Afghanistan’s first female tech CEO, who first spoke at HRF’s events in 2016 and has since become a key pillar and mentor for our global community.
Navigating the challenges of oppression, personal sacrifices, and intense societal scrutiny in a country that restricts girls’ educations and relegates women to subservient roles, “Rule Breakers” highlights the courage and determination to break those rules. In the movie, the Afghan Dreamers build a land mine detector in hopes of not only creating a better future for themselves through the transformative power of education but also healing a country riddled by war.
The Hollywood Reporter dubbed the movie as “inspirational in every sense of the word”; Variety described it as “STEM power meets girl power”; and Plugged In highlighted the movie’s “strong messages about teamwork, sacrifice, perseverance, and the value of women’s education.”
Mahboob was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for her innovative initiatives to expand computer education. She has created a string of IT centers for girls in high schools across Afghanistan, taught students on software development and Bitcoin, and has educated tens of thousands of girls and women.
Since the Taliban seized power, Roya has (at great personal risk) continued to help girls go to school with underground virtual classes. Her bravery is awe-inspiring.
Watch Roya’s talk at the 2016 Oslo Freedom Forum here.
Don’t miss this incredible story of courage and innovation — see “Rule Breakers” in theaters now.
Watch the “Rule Breakers” trailer
