In a strong year of animation in 2021, one of the standouts was My Sunny Maad, the story of a Czech woman named Helena who moves to Afghanistan when she marries her husband. Based on the book Frista, this powerful story looks at the balance of power in Afghan society and the way in which women are often forced to live in the shadow of their husbands and fathers.

My Sunny Maad comes from director Michaela Pavlátová, who was nominated nearly three decades ago for an Oscar for her animated short film Words, Words, Words. ShockYa had the chance to speak with Pavlátová about what interested her in this subject matter, making it into a film, and other animated projects dealing with Afghanistan.

Watch our exclusive interview with Michaela Pavlátová above, and a trailer for the film below.