Based on the best-selling novel by Deborah Ellis, the film was an international co-production among Canada, the Republic of Ireland and Luxembourg, and received a limited release on 17 November 2017.
In 2001, Parvana is an eleven-year-old girl who lives in Kabul under the Taliban's Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan just as the War on Terror is beginning.
One day, during supper, he is unjustly arrested after Idrees, a young and volatile Taliban thug, thinks he insulted him earlier while the two were selling goods in the market.
On the advice of a friend named Shauzia, who is another young girl disguised as a boy called Delowar, Parvana tries to bribe a prison guard so she can see Nurullah, but the guard sends her away, and so she works to save up more money for a larger bribe, taking on hard labor jobs with Shauzia, who is trying to save enough money to escape her abusive father.
Parvana and Shauzia manage to hide, and Idrees is abruptly called away to fight in the United States invasion of Afghanistan.
When Parvana returns home, Fattema pleads with her to stop the dangerous plot, telling her that her relatives accepted Soraya and that they will be collected the day after next.
Fattema eventually stands up to her cousin in a furious manner, refusing to let him take them further, and he leaves the family stranded on the road.
Parvana takes Nurullah away, where they will soon reunite with the rest of the family and escape from Afghanistan together, as the two continue the story they were telling each other at the start of the film.
Choudry's personality also played a role in shaping Parvana's mannerisms, as Twomey explains in another interview, “Seeing what Saara was able to comprehend as an actor, as an artist, and as a child gave me an understanding of how to craft our film [in a way] that doesn't take for granted what children are afraid of or not afraid of.”[13] Twomey also explained that Jolie's insight as UN Goodwill ambassador at Afghan girls' schools was helpful in making the film, as she reportedly offered advice on the intricacies of Afghan behavior codes and the cultural atmosphere of Afghanistan.
[14] The texture and depth of the vivid fairy-tale fable and distinctive cut-out look was created using Nuke compositing software, from the Toronto-based Guru Studio.
Its palette of timbres sways between the austere, to underscore the real life sequences, and the more colorful to illustrate the parallel fantasy story.
The website's critical consensus reads, "The Breadwinner's stunning visuals are matched by a story that dares to confront sobering real-life issues with uncommon—and richly rewarding—honesty.
Furthermore, the music by Mychael and Jeff Danna is described as "lyrical and expressive", for evoking elements of Eastern culture and the enchanted story world.
[20] The New York Times selected The Breadwinner as its NYT Critic's pick and further praising Twomey for her "nuanced way with characterization and action".
"[22] Vanessa H. Larson of The Washington Post gave the film three and a half out of four stars, praising the animation, for the realistic portrayal of characters as well as cultural setting of Kabul, while criticizing the story for being difficult to follow at times.