In 2021, when the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, Sabrina Spanta knew she had to get her younger sisters out. Spanta had emigrated to the United States two decades earlier and had fully embraced American culture. Yet she remained deeply connected to her roots, even incorporating Afghani influences into her senior thesis at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
For months, Spanta watched from abroad as the rights of Afghani women eroded under Taliban rule. Determined to act, she made a bold move: Spanta reached out to SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace, seeking support in securing her sisters’ escape. Spanta’s remarkable journey is captured in “One Step Away,” a short documentary directed by SCAD alum Leslie Merlin, produced by Spanta and executive produced by Wallace.
Combining Spanta’s personal testimony with collage-style animations, the film captures her story in her own words, highlighting how the SCAD community empowered her to find her voice and helped her create a brighter future for her sisters. IndieWire connected with Spanta and Wallace to learn more about the project and the inspiring story behind it. IW: SCAD helped you give expression to your feelings about your culture, with how you adapted Afghani fashions for the fashions you created for your senior thesis.
You talk a lot about how assimilated into the U.S. you were, how after 9/11 you didn’t really acknowledge your Afghani heritage.
How did SCAD help you reconnect with it?.
