Sabrina Spanta faced an impossible task: How could she save her half-sisters from the Taliban, who seized control of Afghanistan and stripped women of their education and freedom?
What followed was a two-year odyssey of courage, resilience, and a high-stakes collaboration with the Savannah College of Art and Design. The partnership not only brought her sisters to safety, but also inspired “One Step Away,” an award-winning short film that recently won the award for Best War Film at the 2024 Roma Short Film Festival.
After the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Spanta — a 2016 SCAD graduate with a degree in fashion design — reached out to SCAD President Paula Wallace with a desperate plea: “Can SCAD help save my sisters?”
Her half-sisters, Saki and Soda — who had been studying architecture and hydro engineering — were now trapped under Taliban rule, and denied their basic rights to education and freedom.
What unfolded was a saga of bureaucratic hurdles, perilous escapes, and unyielding resolve. SCAD’s administration rallied its resources to secure visas, scholarships, and safe passage for the young women.
The mission involved a risky escape and countless sleepless nights. But ultimately, the sisters made it to the U.S., where they now study architecture at SCAD, embracing a new life of freedom and opportunity.
Loss and Courage
Spanta’s own journey to America began decades earlier. Born in Afghanistan, she lost her birth mother as a child. Her father, a hospital security guard, shielded her and her siblings from the truth, telling them their mother had been taken to America for medical treatment. It wasn’t until a neighbor’s offhand comment that Spanta learned the devastating truth.
At eight years old, Spanta and her sister were adopted by her Afghan-American family in the U.S. The culture shock was profound.
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“The first time I saw my American mom driving a car, I was in awe,” Spanta recalls. “In Afghanistan, that kind of freedom for women is unimaginable. To me, driving symbolized control over your own destiny.”
That perspective has stayed with Spanta throughout her life. Even as she became “Americanized,” she never forgot the stark contrasts between her two worlds.
“I’m grateful for the little things: wearing shorts, speaking freely, having choices. These are freedoms women in Afghanistan still don’t have,” she says.
A Daring Escape
After graduating from SCAD, Spanta built a career in fashion design, working for major brands and even competing on Project Runway. But her passion for storytelling eventually led her to the film industry, where she now works as a costume designer.
She was well into her fashion career when the Taliban retook Afghanistan — and she thought her alma mater could help.
“I knew SCAD was a family,” she says. “I had seen President Wallace at events, and I knew if anyone could help, it was her.”
Her email to Wallace sparked an immediate response. Within hours, SCAD’s leadership team was on the case, working tirelessly to bring Spanta’s sisters to safety.
The process was fraught with danger, and the sisters attempted multiple escapes. As each attempt was met with setbacks, SCAD’s team never gave up. “They were working day and night,” Spanta says. “It was a two-year battle, but they made it happen.”
New Beginnings at SCAD
Now settled in the U.S., Saki and Soda are pursuing their dreams at SCAD. Their transition has been both exhilarating and challenging.
“The culture shock is huge,” Spanta explains. “Something as simple as eating French fries at Chick-fil-A is a completely new experience. They’re still adjusting to the freedom they have here, like wearing short sleeves without fear.”
Spanta hopes their journey will inspire others to take action and support women in crisis.
“This is just the beginning,” she says. “My goal is to turn this into a feature film one day, to shed light on what’s happening in Afghanistan and help more women escape.”
Main image: (L-R) Sabrina Spanta with her sisters, Saki and Soda. Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SCAD.