If “The Breadwinner” were a live-action film, it would be virtually unbearable to watch, but as animation, it’s not only possible, but somehow inspiring to immerse oneself in this pared-down* adaptation of Deborah Ellis’ well-regarded young-adult novel, about an 11-year-old girl who must step up and care for her family after the Taliban raids her home and arrests her father.

Though the heroine is a child, and the book was written for young readers, “The Breadwinner” is by no means a simple-minded children’s movie. Rather, it directly confronts the misogyny* of contemporary Afghanistan, while powerfully suggesting that storytelling is both a means of coping and a solution for change.

Her name is Parvana, and she is allowed to visit Kabul’s market square only so long as she is accompanied by her father, a one-legged local teacher. Early in the film, while the family is sharing a quiet moment at home, a group of Taliban goons barge in and drag Parvana’s father away, leaving the others (ailing mother, older sister, baby brother) with no means to support themselves.

At first, Parvana ventures out by herself to collect water, but the film makes clear that even such an innocuous* chore takes on an air of danger in a world where women are expected to stay home and depend on their husbands, brothers or fathers for all things. But what to do when the family has no adult males? Parvana and her mother attempt to go to the prison to visit her father, but along the way, they are stopped by the Taliban and threatened.

Amid such oppression*, Parvana makes two important discoveries: First, she realizes the power of storytelling to escape the harsh circumstances they’re facing, distracting her distressed younger brother with an extemporaneous* fable about a brave boy who stands up to the so-called Elephant King.

Second, she encounters a classmate, Shauzia, who has cut her hair and assumed a boy’s identity, inspiring Parvana to do the same. Now, disguised as boys, they are free to explore the city and seek work.

Mychael and Jeff Danna’s music is lyrical and expressive, blending Oriental instruments with Western orchestrations as it moves from pieces echoing the street sounds of Kabul to the more expansive evocations of the enchanted story-world. A thrilling climax brings together all the threads that weave through this terrific movie. Executive producer Angelina Jolie’s name has star power, but it’s the self-effacing* Nora Twomey, making her solo directorial feature debut, who is the real heroine of this wonderful film.

The movie is being screened in China.(SD-Agencies)