Brishkay Ahmed is a rare and vital presence in Canadian documentary filmmaking. An Afghan – Canadian filmmaker based in Vancouver, Ahmed has spent over a decade venturing where few dare to go. Her work is driven by an unwavering commitment to the women whose stories the world has too often chosen to ignore.
Trained in film production at New York University and the Iranian Young Cinema Society, with further studies in journalism and communications, Ahmed brings a dual fluency in cinematic craft and investigative rigour that sets her work apart.
She has filmed inside Kabul’s female-led news agency as the Taliban takeover loomed, documented women reporters facing daily danger in a country on the edge, and traced the lives of Afghan women navigating oppression, displacement and the quiet heroism of survival.
Named Best Fresh Voice at the 2023 Female Eye Film Festival and an alumna of the Canadian Film Centre Writers’ Lab, her path has been defined not by waiting for permission but by going directly to the heart of the story.
In this conversation, Ahmed reflects on the responsibility of bearing witness, the courage it takes to film in conflict zones, and why Afghan women deserve to be seen on their own terms, as neither victims nor symbols, but as the full and complex human beings they have always been.
Storytelling Voice
Living between Afghanistan and Canada, I’m able to see and sense the world as someone with and without privileges. That perspective helps me write more nuanced characters. My background in journalism placed in me the ability to question fact from fiction more diligently, because my brain is a natural researcher and critical thinker.
Missing Stories
When I began, I felt that stories were missing about Afghan women as women, outside the context of victims of war and oppression. I would say these narratives are still missing.
‘In the Room’
‘In the Room’ uses constructed spaces and symbolism, moving outside traditional documentary techniques. The “why” to that is each story needs its own look, tone, and palette when moving from text to a visual story. It’s about the heart of the piece. I ask if this is situated in love, pain, fear, anger, grief, and then plan the creative approach to situate that ‘feeling’ within.
Building Trust in Sensitive Environments
I’m a strong advocate for the process of ‘informed consent’. This is not just about agreements to participate, but understanding my intention and goals as a filmmaker. It’s important that the subject/participant knows about my intention clearly. This way, there are no surprises when the film is marketed this or that way.
Challenges filming ‘In the Rumbling Belly of Motherland’
The big challenge was being at the site of a suicide bomb attack. That day was terrible. Looking through bodies at the hospital to see if one of your missing friends was there…I can never ever forget that.
Safety in Filming in Conflict Zones
Filming in conflict zones, navigating safety is important. There is always a tension between storytelling and protecting the people you are documenting. It’s always a fine balance, walking through a glass-sensitive kind of scenario; you never know what you should do, it’s a heavy responsibility.
Ethical Lines
There are many lines I refuse to cross. I refuse to see my characters or subjects/participants as ‘entertainment”, they’re always a human with a life of their own. That approach keeps me ethical. We have a responsibility as storytellers when we are representing cultures that are often politicized or misunderstood. We have a responsibility to speak their truths, and we must challenge false ideas and stereotypes.
Me, Myself, and I
In terms of challenges I face personally, I don’t come across as the‘expected Afghan woman’, so people sometimes don’t know where to see me or where to place me. It’s ok, I’m finding my own spaces. I am also a staunch feminist, so my films are an activism.
QUICK TAKES
Current Projects in Development
Feature drama “Sama”, the documentary “The Grand Parents”, and the series “State of Play”.
Looking for…
Actors, writers, crew, (the producers are all locked already). Also looking for funding for my short-form series, “Open for Discussion”.
Contact Me
info@digitalwarriorsrproductions.biz
Follow our “Sama” page on Instagram and our “The Grand Parents” page on Instagram.
Photo Credits: Emily Cooper, Bianca Gueco, Alistair Eagle.
