We Are Ayenda
As the Taliban claimed power in 2021 and banned women and girls from participating in sports, the members of the Afghanistan Youth Women’s National Football Team needed to escape their own country or risk being captured and killed. What happened next is an extraordinary story of survival, sisterhood and the human right to privacy. Presented by WhatsApp.
Case Study
Trailer
Short film
An award winning short documentary is available on Amazon Prime Video and tells the story of the Afghan Girls National Football Team and their heroic escape from Afghanistan after the Taliban took power in 2021. Interweaving emotional interviews with harrowing archival footage and the real text messages shared by the teen players as they used their WhatsApp group chat to secretly orchestrate their escape, the film not only shows the brand’s privacy features in action, it positions WhatsApp as a lifeline and a safe space for those who need it most. The film has got almost 500 million impressions, several awards like Sundance 2024, One Show Shorts 2023, Clio Awards 2024, Webbys 2024...
The life or death story follows the profound relationship that develops between Farkhunda Muhtaj, the former captain of Afghanistan’s women’s national football team and humanitarian activist, and the teenage members of the youth team. Despite never having met in person, Muhtaj leads the young women to safety via WhatsApp texts and voice messages, which are woven throughout the documentary to retell their story.
““These incredible young women just want to continue competing in football and aspire to achieve their dreams,” said Farkhunda Muhtaj. “To help them escape successfully, I knew the stakes were extremely high for secure communication. If something was intercepted, whether it be their passports or IDs, not only would the mission be jeopardized but everyone’s life would be at risk.””
““Today, WhatsApp released a short film showing how a group of teenage Afghan soccer players used the app to coordinate their escape from the Taliban after the chaotic withdrawal of US troops two years ago. At the time, there was concern that female soccer players would be targeted—alongside women’s rights activists—for taking part in a sport the regime considered un-Islamic.””
““For the love of the game: the Afghan Youth National Team reflects on life after leaving home, making a documentary and the Youth World Cup””
““Setting The Tone For Branded Content’s Future””
