“In the Room” with Brishkay Ahmed

By PHILOMENA OKOLO

Brishkay Ahmed’s latest project, In the Room, gives audiences a rare and intimate look into the lives of Afghan women, and going beyond the stereotypes.

The screening of the documentary by the National Film Board of Canada, last fall, told the stories of the featured women in  defining spaces where their experiences could be fully experienced.

The filmmaker

Ahmed, who identifies as an artist, designed rooms inspired by pivotal moments in each subject’s life, from beauty pageants to performance stages, blending reality, memory, and symbolism.

Through these spaces, objects, and personal narratives, the film challenges the narrow “victim or hero” portrayals often seen in Western media. In this video, we explore Ahmed’s creative process, the powerful messages in her work, and how she uses art to honour memory, resilience, and identity.

In the Room is now available for streaming across Canada on the National Film Board’s platform.

VIDEO: In the Room invites viewers to witness Afghan women in all their complexity and courage, demanding viewers rethink the way we see them and the spaces they occupy.