As a 14-year-old living in Ethiopia, Aberash Bekele dreamed of going to school, moving to a city, and leading a life where she helped others.

But then she was abducted by a group of horsemen and raped by a farmer who wanted to force her to be his bride. In an attempt to escape, she shot and killed one of her captors.

The nightmare didn't end there. In a culture where forced marriage by abduction was all too routine, Bekele was forced to stand trial for his murder. But with the help of a lawyer named Meaza Ashenafi and the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association, Bekele was eventually acquitted. The case was hailed as an unprecedented win in the fight to protect girls in Ethiopia from kidnapping and child marriage.

Nearly two decades later, Bekele's story of courage is back in the spotlight in the feature film Difret — a development she hopes can further inspire and change the lives of girls around the world.

"It's not easy to be the first to do something that's never been done," Bekele told Refinery29 through a translator, film producer Mehret Mandefro. "That was a very heavy, tough experience to go through. But I'm glad that heavy and tough experience will be something that will be used for the benefit of others."

Difret,which counts Angelina Jolie Pitt as an executive producer, has already won awards at festivals including Sundance and the Pan African Film Festival. It hit theaters in New York today (October 23), and will expand to other cities soon.