Angel’s ‘Rule Breakers’ Tells the Powerful True Story of Afghan Girls Fighting for Education
Director Bill Guttentag likens his new Angel Studios movie Rule Breakers to the sports film Miracle, which documented the improbable run to the gold medal by the 1980 U.S. hockey team. Both movies celebrate the power of perseverance and showcase unlikely real-life heroes overcoming immense challenges. And both movies, he says, leave audiences feeling inspired.
"In some ways, we're like a sports movie," Guttentag told Crosswalk Headlines.
Rule Breakers (PG) follows the incredible true story of Roya Mahboob and the Afghan Dreamers, a groundbreaking all-girls robotics team that defied societal norms in Afghanistan to pursue education and enter competitions in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
In Afghanistan, long-standing traditions, now reinforced by Taliban rule, dictate that girls should end their formal education after the sixth grade. Mahboob and her friends encountered opposition at nearly every turn.
Guttentag learned of the Afghan Dreamers from Jason Brown, a friend and writer who helped pen the script.
"He had written some articles about the central character in the film, Roya Mahboob, and he called me up and said, 'I think I have an idea that would make a good movie.'"
At first, Guttentag was skeptical.
"If you are in the business that I am, you hear this line quite a bit. It's often not true."
But in this case, he now says, it "was extremely true."
"It's a story of triumph over adversity," Guttentag said.
It's also a story, he says, of equal rights. Guttentag shared a story about the daughter of an Angel Studios executive who watched the film and was stunned, realizing for the first time how fortunate girls in the West are to have unrestricted access to education.
"The most powerful stories are the true stories," Guttentag told Crosswalk Headlines.
"I'd like to think that I can do something with film that will have some positive impact," he said. "But also, I don't want to make films that are, for lack of better term, like 'eat your spinach movies.' There's a lot of films out there that lecture you, and I don't want to do a film that's going to lecture you. I want a film that's going to inspire you. We're a film that spends a lot of time talking about STEM education for girls, which is something I truly believe -- and I think most people believe in. But we want to celebrate it and not give you a lecture where you start rolling your eyes."
Rule Breakers, he said, celebrates "quiet heroism."
"We look at film, and sometimes we see characters that we wish we could be or have characteristics of the person," he said. "And I think this film features women of incredible courage who, in the end, succeed. And I hope that's a powerful message."
Photo Credit: ©Angel Studios
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published March 06, 2025.
