This was one of the most difficult documentaries I have ever made. Sitting down with Samir. Listening to him speak about his father through tears. The enormous heart he carries in such a small body. Every word he uttered felt unbearably heavy.

This documentary tells the story of life in Afghanistan and of being an orphan, through the eyes of 11-year-old Samir. His life is not an exception; it mirrors the reality faced by millions of children forced to grow up in this country. Under the shadow of a war that has lasted for more than four decades, childhood is defined not by play, but by the struggle to survive.

Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous places in the world for children. Nearly two million children are living as orphans. Many are forced to collect recyclables from garbage, shine shoes, or sell second-hand bags just to support their families. Samir is one of them.
Earning a Breath in Afghanistan reveals a child’s fight simply to breathe, to exist, offering a quiet yet profound portrait of war’s true face, one that cannot be captured by numbers alone, and leaving it to the viewer’s conscience to bear witness.