The Ground Beneath Their Feet

The consequences of a serious earthquake in northern Pakistan in 2005 are still painfully visible. Among the many casualties were dozens of girls who lost the use of their legs, throwing the rest of their lives into doubt. In Pakistan, girls are meant to be homemakers. But how can you marry and have children if you are confined to a wheelchair? Alongside their physical rehabilitation, Ruqiya and Khalida are faced with the need to redefine their position in society. Filmmaker Nausheen Dadabhoy records their struggle over the course of five years. The young women wrestle not only with physical restrictions and pain, but above all with how to relate to their families and those around them. They have gone from providing care to needing care, completely dependent and immobile, undoing family structures. Khalida’s family allows her to break out of these structures, while Ruqiya’s family is unable to give her the same freedom. And both of them still face prejudices from their communities. “In the end they consider me only as disabled. No matter what I do,” Khalida says. As disabled women in Pakistan, will they ever again find themselves on firmer footing?