Rule Breakers is a 2025 film based on the true story of Afghanistan’s first all-female robotics team. Set between 2017 and 2019, the film follows a young Afghan startup founder who defies tradition and recruits high school girls to learn robotics.
Despite facing dangerous political circumstances, the team participates in competitions worldwide, showcasing their skills and inspiring others.
“Rule Breakers” is set to be released in theaters on March 7, 2025.
Where Was Rule Breakers Filmed?
While the film is about Afghanistan’s first all-female robotics team, Rule Breakers is actually filmed in Marrakech and Budapest.
Marrakech, Morocco
Marrakech serves as the primary filming location in the film and is portrayed as Herat, Afghanistan. The movie’s story is based on the Afghan Girls Robotics Team, known as the Afghan Dreamers, from Herat, Afghanistan. However, the film was not shot in Afghanistan; instead, it was filmed in Marrakech. Aerial shots of Herat, Afghanistan were used to make it more real, you can see in the below gallery however the film was not shot there.
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest serves as another important location for the movie. Scenes of Berlin, Albuquerque, and Washington are filmed in Budapest.
The Afghan Girls Robotics Team was founded in 2017 through the Digital Citizen Fund (DCF) by Roya Mahboob and Alireza Mehraban. The team consists of girls aged 12 to 18, along with their mentors. After the fall of Kabul in August 2021, several members of the team were relocated to Qatar and Mexico. In 2023, a documentary titled Afghan Dreamers, featuring the team, was released by MTV Documentary Films.
The team was co-founded in 2017 by Roya Mahboob, who serves as their coach, mentor, and sponsor. She is also the founder of the Digital Citizen Fund (DCF), the organization behind the team. The idea to form the team came from Dean Kamen, who was organizing a robotics competition in the United States in 2017. He reached out to Mahboob to assemble a team from Afghanistan.
Out of 150 girls, 12 were selected for the first team. Before receiving official parts for the robots, the team trained in the basement of Mahboob’s parents’ home, using scrap metal and without proper safety equipment. They were coached by Mahboob’s brother, Alireza Mehraban, who is also a co-founder of the team.