UPDATE - As Far As They Can Run has made the short list for an Oscar nomination.
The following is an excerpt from the FanSided article titled ‘As Far As They Can Run’ Is a Heartwarming and Heartbreaking Look at How Special Olympics Are Changing Lives In Pakistan:
In the United States, many families are lucky to have access to early intervention services that will allow children with physical or intellectual disabilities to receive the services they need to help them learn and grow at their own pace and in their own ways. Unfortunately, that is not always the case in many parts of the world. In the documentary by Iranian American director Tanaz Eshaghian and MTV Documentary Films called A Far As They Can Run, the stories of three such children growing up in Pakistan are told.
This heartwarming and heartbreaking film made its world premiere at the 2022 Woodstock Film Festival, winning the award for Best Documentary Short. The film follows three teens in Sindh Province, Pakistan, their names are Ghulam, Sana, and Sajawel. All three teens have intellectual disabilities that hold them back from connecting with their families. The lack of resources and education about these disabilities is shown at the beginning of the film. These children were sometimes locked up and their legs were often shackled so that they did not run away or get in trouble in town.
