Inspired by a true story, Marza is based off of real people and events that took place involving a U.S. Marine and a group of young Afghan villagers. Throughout the course of his deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan, the Marine's life is transformed by the innocence and purity of a child - Mursal (pronounced Marza). Along the way, the Marine gradually meets more of the local children and is brought into their world. On 8 September 2012, a suicide bomber killed six children, including Marza's two sisters, Parwana and Khorshid. They refused to let the suicide bomber pass to reach the American and Coalition Forces within the Green Zone. Due to their sacrifice, countless lives were saved. The suicide bomber was also just an innocent youth.

 

The three main girls' names - Mursal, Parwana, and Khorshid - translate to Rose, Butterfly, and the Sun, respectively. Their surname, Hawa, translated means Eve.