Red Deer filmmaker brings documentary about female Afghani marathoners to global …

With a new crackdown on women’s rights in Afghanistan, a Red Deer filmmaker feels the urgency of making her documentary about the first females to run a mixed-gender marathon in that country available to a wider audience. The Secret Marathon can now be watched for free globally through Vimeo.com. It was shot in 2016 by Red Deer native Kathryn McKenzie and her Calgary-based World Views Productions. At that time, six Afghani women had joined a large contingent of male runners to compete in a mixed-gender marathon in their country. McKenzie, a runner herself, flew to Afghanistan to join the race — and to document it. Although she received permission to film in the country, she recalled her team of three tried to avoid drawing undue attention by shooting video footage with small hand-held cameras, as well as with a GoPro McKenzie wore while running. At that time, it seemed life was finally beginning to open up for Afghani women. The female marathoners had told her that they like to run because it gave them a sense of freedom said McKenzie, who also recalled the “incredible” hospitality and friendliness of Afghani people. But societal restrictions in that male-dominant society were being…
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