WHATSAPP - We are Ayenda

Client: WhatsApp

Agency: The Lab

Foreign Production C°: Goodgate

Director: Amber Fares

Dop: Daisy Zhou

Production service by MiL * Made in Lisbon

In August 2021, following the Taliban's resurgence in Afghanistan, women's rights, including participation in sports, faced severe restrictions. The Afghanistan women's national soccer team captain, Farkhunda Muhtaj, based in Canada, played a pivotal role in orchestrating the evacuation of the Afghan girls' youth soccer team. This mission, known as "Operation Soccer Balls", aimed to relocate 26 players aged 14 to 16, along with their families, totalling 80 individuals. The operation encountered numerous challenges, including multiple failed rescue attempts and a suicide bombing by Islamic State militants. Despite these obstacles, the group successfully arrived in Portugal on September 19, 2021, where they were granted asylum. Farkhunda Muhtaj joined them shortly after to assist with their resettlement. In August 2023, WhatsApp released a film titled "We Are Ayenda", documenting this harrowing journey. At MiL, we are proud to have contributed to the production of this film.

More info can be found here.