Kicking it out of the island

Buzkashi Boys

Set against the dramatic landscape of contemporary Afghanistan, two best friends strive to realize their dreams as they make their way to manhood in one of the most war-torn countries on Earth.

Nominated for an Oscar in 2013, Buzkashi Boys starts as a simple coming-of-age story of two young boys from different backgrounds—Ahmad the street urchin and Rafi, a blacksmith’s son— but slowly builds to a very emotional climax, tugging hard at your heartstrings.

While revolving around the foreign sport of Buzkashi (essentially polo with a dead goat carcass serving as a proxy for the ball), it is about two kids that want more out of their lives—much like American boys would dream of playing professional baseball or football.