DEBBIE, the American hairdresser who co-founds the training salon. As the burqas are removed in class, curls are coiffed and make-up is applied, Debbie's students share with her their stories - and their hearts.

MINA, forcibly married to a man in repayment of a family debt and threatened with having her child taken away.

ROSHANNA, a tearful young bride terrified her in-laws will discover she's not a virgin.

And NAHIDA, the prize pupil who bears the scars of her Taliban husband's approval.

In the Kabul Beauty School, these women and many others find a safe haven and the seeds of their future independence.