On December 26, 2025, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and actor Arian Moayed joined the Olympics.com podcast to discuss their roles as executive producers for the documentary Champions of the Golden Valley. Now streaming globally for free, the film follows Alishah Farhang, an Afghan alpine skier who returned to the Bamyan region to establish a grassroots ski school. The documentary serves as a window into Afghan culture, capturing the community’s joy and resilience through the “Afghan Ski Challenge” before the Taliban’s return to power. Malala emphasized that the film humanizes a population often only seen through the lens of conflict, stating, “You realize how precious peace is to the Afghan people.”
Malala Yousafzai & Arian Moayed discuss ‘Champions of the Golden Valley’ documentary, now streaming on https://t.co/i96SJ2TU76 – podcast https://t.co/GSnmICVmiA via @Olympics
— Yiannis (@YiannisExarchos) December 25, 2025
The narrative shifts between the vibrant, competitive atmosphere of the Bamyan slopes and Alishah’s current life as a refugee in Germany. The film highlights the global refugee crisis, which according to UNHCR data from early 2025, involves over 117 million forcibly displaced people, including 43 million classified as refugees. Alishah’s struggle with cultural displacement and the “refugee” label in Europe underscores the challenges of the 5.6 million Afghans currently living outside their home country. Malala noted that Alishah’s story is a “beacon” for human rights, focusing particularly on how he broke gender barriers by including female-only races in a region where girls often have zero access to sport.
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