From Afghanistan comes a thought-provoking story about a young girl desperate to go to school. In March of 2001, the Taliban blew up a massive pair of fifth-century Buddhas carved into the side of a mountain in central Afghanistan’s Bamyan valley. Six-year-old Baktay lives with her family in the caves surrounding the gaping holes where the statues used to be. After hearing a neighbour recite the alphabet, little Baktay decides she wants to learn as well. Trading stolen eggs for pen and paper, and enduring the cruel taunts of local boys, a determined Baktay sets off in her quest to attend the girls’ school across the river. A member of the famous filmmaking Makhmalbaf family, Hana Makhmalbaf, aged 19, already has two feature films to her credit. With Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame she confirms her reputation as a talented filmmaker capable of tackling one of the most important issues facing young women globally – the right to learn.