http://womensvoicesnow.org/index.php/site/index/ en miriam@womensvoicesnow.org Copyright 2012 2012-03-24T00:58:53+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/wvn_at_women_action_media_conference_in_la/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/wvn_at_women_action_media_conference_in_la/ I was invited to present on WVN’s work at the annual Women Action Media conference held by the L.A. chapter of the organization. The theme of the conference was The Feminist Possibilities of Documentary Film. My co-presenters were Jennifer Lee, director of the upcoming film “Feminist: Stories from the Women’s Liberation” and Janice Rosenthal Littlejohn, journalist and director of “…but can she play?” along with contemporary jazz trumpeter and songwriter, Crystal J. Torres. I presented on WVN’s Global Tour programs in the U.A.E and Jordan. The stories from our programs were woven into a discussion about women’s issues in the Arab world, previous feminist movements and the growing Islamic Feminist movements. We discussed women as agents of change and men’s roles in improving the status and lives of women. The audience, largely made up of students, academics and some folks from the public, watched our Festival film “Feminin Masculin” by Sadaf Foroughi from Iran. A woman approached me after the presentation to tell me that she identified with the woman in the film and with some of the stories from our Jordan program. She was Mexican-American and had gone against the grain in her community to marry the man of her choice, have children at a young age and finish her college degree while still earning money to help support her family. It goes to show that a woman’s spirit and desires for her life crosses all cultural and physical boundaries. Suzie Abdou Director of Global Programs 2012-03-24T00:58:53+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/wvn_lectures_at_santa_monica_college/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/wvn_lectures_at_santa_monica_college/ I was once again invited to lecture to one of Professor Melanie Klein’s classes. This time I presented to her Women’s Studies class at Santa Monica College. The class was comprised of female students with only three male students. These young people had not had a lecture or presentation on women’s issues in the Arab world. So I began with a background on the region and the women’s movement including the newly developing Islamic feminist movement. I continued with stories from our screenings in the UAE earlier that month and in Jordan from October 2011. There were several women in our various screenings which had shared their experiences as leaders in their communities or going against the grain in their families or villages with regards to their career choice. The students watched Festival film “Male and Female” by a director from Egypt. The first question that I received was “I heard women wear the hijab because they want to protect themselves from rape, is that right?”. Another question was how women’s rights in Pakistan have been affected after the assassination of President Benazir Bhutto.  That was really an opportunity to talk about how women’s rights would be affected by the recent revolutions in the Middle East and the rise of theocratic governments. My favorite question was, “how could you go into these countries and even have these kinds of discussions given the political climate? It just sounds like a suicide mission!” The only comment given by a male student was pointing me to the controversy around M.I.A’s “Bad Girls” music video which addresses Saudi women’s fight for the right to drive. Suzie Abdou Director of Global Programs 2012-03-21T00:53:46+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/the_task_of_filmmaking_-_closing_night_in_uae/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/the_task_of_filmmaking_-_closing_night_in_uae/ The final night of the Festival wrapped up with our Girls in the Muslim World program. The panelists included Nujoom Alghanem, an award-winning Emirati female filmmaker and two WVN Festival filmmakers Patricia Fermazi director of “My Name is Pat” and alumni of the American University Sharjah and Bijoyeta Das director of “Saturday Mothers of Turkey”. The audience was interested in how the panelists developed their films from an idea into a full fledged film. They asked, “how much time does it take to make a film?” and “in retrospect, what are things you’d change about your film?” Bijoyeta felt there were many things she would change about her documentary especially in light of working on her new documentary dealing with female victims of acid attacks in Bangladesh. She expressed that she would have been more intimate with the subject matter and taken more risks in order to make the stories even more compelling than they already were. Patricia responded to the question of the difficulty in making films that are so personal in nature such as aspects of family life and religion. She told the story of the making of her film which started as just a documentary as a Filipina expat student living in the Emirates. A professor at AUS encouraged her to develop the film more into her experience living in the UAE. Once she had determined what that would look like, she was afraid to screen her film to fellow students. She was pleasantly surprised to find support from her peers. She even found that it taught locals a few things they didn’t know about their own environment. This was especially true when some the other students were surprised to learn that there are several Christian churches in the UAE including a large practicing Filipino Catholic community. The panel of filmmakers unanimously agreed that film has the power to give insight and education into subjects that are not as well known or popular. They agreed that ultimately working with the medium of film has the power to change people’s perceptions of not only their immediate surroundings but of the world around them. This is really the drive behind their creative process. The evening ended with yet another incredible spread of refreshments and discussion around the films courtesy of our gracious hosts. Suzie Abdou Director of Global Programs 2012-03-18T00:33:34+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/the_emerald_city_-_night_2/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/the_emerald_city_-_night_2/ Our second Festival night with Women in Film & Television was a screening of the Women at Work program. The integration of women in the workplace is among the list of issues women face in the UAE. Our panelists for the night were Dr. Nezar Andary, a professor at Zayed University Abu Dhabi campus whose work has included studies on Iranian and French cinema, Nujoom Alghanem, an award-winning Emirati female filmmaker, and Laura Boushnak, a photojournalist and activist. The most poignant remark made by the audience came from an Emirati man who claimed that conditions for modern women are better than they were 200 years ago to which Nujoom responded that modern men have their rights now in addition to 200 years ago! The audience was amused. One audience member asked why people would choose to watch films about suffering when it is neither uplifting nor a solution to everyday sufferings. The response was that we connect as an audience with those things that are closest to our reality and everyday experience whether directly or indirectly (ie the suffering of others). There is also the factor of understanding the circumstances of people living in other parts of the world and possibly feeling compelled to change our own environment or to help them improve theirs. Film can serve as a call to action. Another audience member asked the panel which kinds of films they would like to see made. A challenging question came from an expat man, “Since there were no Emirati films in this program, let’s say that if there were, what would those issues be?” I found his question so very important because broaching any discussion of problems within Emirati culture, life or government is a highly sensitive subject and risky to address in a public setting. Although we were unable to derive a direct answer, his candor was much appreciated. As a matter of fact, a local woman approached me after the screening to express her outrage at the man’s question. She felt that women living in the Emirates were well taken care of by their families and government. She did not feel it necessary to try and dredge up or exaggerate any difficulties women may have in the country let alone put them up to par with the problems facing the Iranian or Afghan women depicted in the films. Her reaction did not surprise me as we received related comments from some Jordanian women at our screenings last year. What most struck me is that she made these comments in the presence of three Emirati men that had come to both nights of our screenings so far and found the subject matter critical and the discussion of those issues to be pertinent and relevant to the women in their country. Even more so, their wives had left the first night’s screening early and didn’t join them for the second night of the Festival. The same woman’s college age daughter approached me at the post-screening reception. She wanted to tell me that she enjoyed the films and films in general that address women’s issues. The reason, she told me, is that she is very conscious of how she looks in the niqab. She feels it is a disadvantage for her as it is an inaccurate interpretation of women in the faith she loves. I could identify with her feelings as a woman of faith even though we do not share the same religion. Between listening to this daughter and her mother, it was clear to me that at the very least, women’s rights will always face the hurdle of bridging the generational gap. Suzie Abdou Director of Global Programs 2012-03-17T00:30:46+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/opening_night_with_wift_uae/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/opening_night_with_wift_uae/ Opening Night with Women in Film and Television - Abu Dhabi The UAE chapter of Women in Film & Television hosted our Festival for three consecutive days at the landmark Heritage Village in Abu Dhabi. Under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Sultan bin Zayed Culture and Media Centre, His Excellency Hanafi Gayel, Consular and Legal Advisor, opened the Festival with a great deal of support for our films and the Festival. The Woman Warrior program kicked off the event followed by a panel that included two WVN Festival filmmakers, Laila Hotait director of “Basita” and Bijoyeta Das director of “Saturday Mothers of Turkey”. Souad Al Habib of Arab Women’s Voices was scheduled to be on the panel but unfortunately couldn’t attend due to illness. The audience was a wonderful mix of locals and expats but even better were the couples that brought their children to the event. Abu Dhabi encourages family participation in all appropriate cultural events so we had a range of young people from kids to teenagers at every screening. The most pertinent question we received was why there are no Arabic subtitles to any of our non-Arabic language films. Of course this is something WVN is working on and can be quite a post-production task as it will take time. We received the same question in Jordan. In the beginning stages of our Global Tour, we have come to find that audiences in Arabic speaking countries tend to be engaged in the subject matter of films in their own mother tongue even when the other films speak to issues also happening in the Arab world. Among the other questions aimed at WVN staff were, “why do your films date back more than five years?” and why weren’t there films about the recent revolutions in the Middle East?” The questions asked of both filmmakers on the panel were, “do you face any difficulties making these films as a woman in the industry?” and “have you faced any discrimination?” They responded that the only discrimination they have faced was with the way they look, for example not being taken seriously due to their short stature, but that as women they felt they had access to stories that their male counterparts could not gain access to due to their gender. Laila was asked why she chose to make an experimental film. The woman in audience felt that the more artistic films are hard to understand, marginalize people in the audience and are thereby elitist. Audience concern with understanding the experimental films in the Festival was also expressed by some attendees at the WVN screenings in Jordan last year. Bijoyeta, on the other hand, was asked if she felt any discrimination as an Indian woman journalist and filmmaker while in Turkey. The Festival garnered wide spread coverage in the Abu Dhabi press. Check out some of the links below! Abu Dhabi International Film Festival Magazine The National Newspaper Variety Arabia Suzie Abdou Director of Global Programs 2012-03-16T00:23:12+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/nyu_abu_dhabi_screening/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/nyu_abu_dhabi_screening/ Telling Tales & Crafting Their Storytellers - New York University Abu Dhabi Campus WVN’s first stop in the UAE was a screening at the New York University Abu Dhabi campus. The program was made up of our award-winning documentaries and well-made documentaries as the NYU students were focused on documentary filmmaking that semester. The screening was followed by a panel discussion that included Laila Hotait, WVN filmmaker of “Basita”, Bijoyeta Das, WVN filmmaker of “Saturday Mothers of Turkey” and Michelle Nickelson, co-founder of Women in Film & Television UAE. The audience was interested in how the panel went about making their films a reality from idea to funding. They asked questions such as, “what motivated you to make your film?” and “how do I find financing for my film? Doesn’t it require a lot of money?” Woven into the discussion were questions about being a woman in the film industry. One student asked the panel if it was difficult to make a film as a Muslim female director. The panelists responded that they actually were discriminated against more for their appearance than their religious affiliation. Our panelists were from different religious backgrounds. The panelists went on to say that there are great advantages for being a woman in the film industry. Mainly, women have access that men do not have to certain stories. There are also more funding and programmatic opportunities made available to women now than in the past. The night wrapped up with a reception that gave the students an opportunity to engage with our filmmakers. Laila Hotait held a documentary filmmaking workshop for a group of interested film students. In the meantime, Al Bayan newspaper interviewed Miriam Wakim, WVN’s Director of Development as well as our two filmmakers. You can read their coverage of the event here. Suzie Abdou Director of Global Programs 2012-03-14T23:44:52+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/muntada_promoting_sexuality_and_reproductive_health_in_palestinian_society/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/muntada_promoting_sexuality_and_reproductive_health_in_palestinian_society/ WATCH great film from Muntada- The Arab Forum for Sexuality, Education and HealthMuntada - The Arab Forum for Sexuality, Education and Health - is a national organization committed to the social development of Palestinian society, by addressing educational and counseling needs as they relate to sexuality and reproductive health. Regarded locally as a major professional and intellectual nexus in the field of human sexuality, Muntada is also dynamically building connections with Arab and international networks in this field that share the principles of universal human rights and sustainable development. Let us know your thoughts on their marvelous film Jensaneya”(Sexuality) !                       Find about more about Muntada HERE! 2012-01-10T02:33:32+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/lecture_at_csun/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/lecture_at_csun/ Lecture at California State University Northridge (CSUN) I was invited by Professor Melanie Klein of the Women’s Studies Department at CSUN to speak on WVN to her class entitled Women as Agents of Change. The class was made up mostly of young women but included a handful of young men. These young people had not had a lecture or presentation on women’s issues in the Arab world. So I began with a background on the region and the women’s movement including the newly developing Islamic feminist movement. I continued with stories from our screenings in Jordan from the previous month. There were several women in our various screenings which had shared their experiences as leaders in their communities or going against the grain in their families or villages with regards to their career choice. The students watched Festival film “Male and Female” by a director from Egypt which they thoroughly enjoyed. The students were interested in more specific topics on women’s issues in the region as the time was coming for them to wrap up their semester projects. A group of students requested more information on women in Egypt while another group requested more information on women in Iran. The best part of lecturing to these students was their interest in a part of the world that they only hear and see of in the media. They were all keenly aware that the media hardly tells the entire story. Suzie Abdou Director of Global Programs 2011-11-18T21:24:10+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/feminine_light_in_the_middle_east/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/feminine_light_in_the_middle_east/ Panel at The Feminine Light in the Middle East: A Vision of Women, Worth and Purpose in support of Men of Honor and A New Legacy for our Children Conference I was graciously invited to participate in a large conference in Los Angeles on the feminine light in the Middle East. The conference panels covered a gamut of topics but the panel I was asked to join addressed the question of how we see ourselves as women. My co-panelists included a male psychologist, a male comedian, a female actress/artist, a female journalist and a female oncologist. It was a diverse panel that offered different perspectives on the issue. I spoke of the negative portrayal of women in the region by the media and how our Festival films give the other side of the story. I included stories from WVN’s program in Jordan the previous month where women were quite upset with how they are portrayed in Western media as always abused and victimized by men and their religion. I spoke on how women are portrayed in Arab media, the rise of another feminist movement in several Arab countries and concluded with my own personal views on how I see myself as a Coptic-American woman. One audience member asked what women in America could do to support women’s efforts in the Middle East to which I responded that support of grassroots organizations is most effective in addition to keeping informed of the honest accounts (both good and bad) of what women are currently facing in the region. Co-panelist and Persian comedian, Max Amini, happily agreed to join the line-up of performers at WVN’s comedy fundraiser in 2012. Stay tuned for more details! Suzie Abdou Director of Global Programs 2011-11-16T21:20:07+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/saving_face/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/saving_face/ Saving Face vs. Getting to the Point Tonight we held a screening of the award-winning films from the Festival at the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts (RSICA). RSICA is one of the very few film schools in the Middle East region and is associated with the University of Southern California’s renowned School of Cinematic Arts. The panelists included Ammar Basha WVN filmmaker of “Breaking the Silence” and RSICA student, Amal Basha Yemeni activist head of the Arab Sisters Human Rights Forum since 2001, and a regional consultant for the International alliance at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Jordanian human rights attorney Mona Touqan. It was quite a long event with an audience made up of film students and professors. The films were well received and the conversation a lively one. The first reaction we received was from a professor who said we should be addressing why these issues are happening to women as opposed to always talking about what is happening. We responded that our experience has been, very surprisingly, that there are plenty of people that still don’t know (or are in denial) about the plight of women. That was evidenced in our discussions in Amman. Mona, the human rights attorney, jumped in with a lengthy commentary on how women on the whole live well in Jordan and that we often times over emphasize the problems which paints an unrealistic picture of life there. Amal responded to her co-panelists with a great deal of passion and upset. She said that when women play down the problems of their own gender then that takes away from any efforts to improve circumstances for everyone. “Have you considered our poor sisters in the villages and how they live?” she asked the attorney. The debate went back and forth but was finally interrupted so that we could take questions from the audience. The remainders of the questions were directed at the making of the films and the reasons behind the organizing of the Festival. Suzie Abdou Director of Global Programs 2011-10-21T21:13:52+00:00