I Was Worth 50 Sheep

Sabere was sold ten years old, to a 50-year-old afghan man. She became pregnant several times, resulting in miscarriage. Now she is sixteen and being helped to fight for her freedom. Sabere's mother was also inherited by her cousin. Her other daughter, Farzaneh, is now eleven. Her father is selling her because of poverty. Farzanes price tag is 50 sheep.

I Was worth 50 Sheep is the story of a brave girl, Sabere, and her struggle for life. Through the prism of her family this heart-rending and thought-provoking film brings the tragedy that is Afghanistan vividly to life.

Sabere has a price on her head. When she was just ten years old she was sold to a man forty years her senior. After seven years of confinement and abuse she escaped to find temporary refuge in a women’s sanctuary. Now she has a price on her head again, as her husband will kill her on sight. The camera picks up Sabere at the point where she has re-made contact with her family. She faces the decision of whether to stay in the safety of the sanctuary or whether to rejoin her family.

For Sabere's family this is a dangerous game of cat and mouse, as they move from location to location – always trying to stay one step ahead of her murderous husband. Only divorce can set Sabere free. But Islamic law will only grant a divorce if she can bring her husband to court. But there is a problem. Her husband is a Taliban man far beyond the reach of the law.

With desperation mounting, Sabere’s stepfather proposes a brave plan. They will mount a “sting” that will simultaneously capture her husband and free Sabere from his clutches. But for it to work, Sabere will have to meet her husband. And all the while the family dreads receiving the telephone call that will seal the fate of Sabere’s ten-year-old sister.

I Was worth 50 Sheep is a simple and moving story of a family’s struggle to survive. It was filmed over a period of two years in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, by award-winning director Nima Sarvestani.

Director & Producer: Nima Sarvestani
Producer: Mariana Abrahaiman & Victor Nordensköld
Graphics: Leo Gilliland
Camera: Hamid Alamdar
Editor: Helena Fredriksson