Women of Madani
Women in Islam have an important position as depicted in various stories from the Quran and hadith. Almost all Islamic literature agrees that Islam upholds women’s dignity. In Islamic history, records have seen women’s important role such as teaching men in religious matters, founding the first university, and even becoming a head of state. However, the reality is far from the Islamic ideal view about equality between women and men. Human rights violations, sexual harassment, male domination, and even denial of women’s basic rights are still common in muslim societies and communities.
The story of Mahsa Amini is one of our great sorrows. Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish national, died in police custody after being arrested under Iran’s harsh hijab laws. Her death is proof that crimes against humanity are committed in the name of religious enforcement. Honor killing also occurs in the name of dignity and man honours in the patriarchy system. There are many stories of women being sacrificed, even murdered, by male family members in the belief that the victim has brought scandal or shame.
The lack of access to education, access to employment opportunities, and exposure for women in Islamic countries is still ongoing, due to various reasons and causes: social, geographical, political, and economic. There is no easy answer to the situation that still surrounds muslim women. However, it is also undeniable that women in the Madani world, for example directors, writers, and practitioners in other fields have reaped many achievements and contributed to the world.
Film can be an effective medium to approach the issues above. The program Women of Madani examines and presents issues of civil (madani) society from the point of view of women’s experiences, demonstrating how women’s issues and situations (in the Islamic world) appear in the works of women filmmakers and showing their struggles/life stories.
We will follow the stories of the Women of Madani across continents and countries: Kosovo, Iran, Austria, Czech, Syria, Singapore to Indonesia, where we will also examine the story of this country’s first female director, Ratna Asmara, in Madani Classics.
HIVE
Blerta Basholli | Drama | 2021 | 84 min | Kosovo, Swiss, Albania, North Macedonia | Sub: English | 15+
Fahrije’s husband has been missing since the war in Kosovo. She sets up her own small business to provide for her kids, but as she fights against a patriarchal society that does not support her, she faces a crucial decision.
Awards:
Winner Audience Award, Grand Jury Prize, Directing Award Sundance Film Festival 2021
SONNE
Kurdwin Ayub | Drama | 2022 | 87 min | Austria | Sub: English | 17+
Three teenage girls from Vienna twerk in hijab and sing a pop song. A YouTube video of it makes them famous overnight, especially among Kurdish Muslims. Yesmin, the only one of the friends who is Kurdish herself, begins to distance herself more and more from her culture. Nati and Bella, on the other hand, seem fascinated by a world that is strange to them. When the girls meet two young Kurdish patriots, the situation threatens to escalate. A film about young people caught between social media and self-discovery, a story of rebellious young women.
Awards:
Winner GWFF Best First Feature Award, Berlin International Film Festival 2022
THE SNOW CALL
Marjan Khosravi | Drama | 2021 | 49 min | Iran | Sub: English | 13+
Mina is a young woman who has three daughters and now she is nine months pregnant. She loves her life very much. Her husband would like to have a boy, but she hasn’t been able to deliver a baby boy so far. The people of her society believe that a man must have at least one son and they put pressure on her.The relatives and her husband tell her that if the 4th baby is not a boy, she has to allow her husband to marry another woman so that she may give birth to a boy.
Awards:
Nominee, Competition for Student Documentary, IDFA 2020. The Netherlands.
Nominee, Short Competition, DMZ International Documentary Film Festival 2021, South Korea.
Winner, Best Documentary Feature, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival 2021, USA.
Winner, Best Short Film, USA Film Festival 2021, USA.
Winner, Especial mention, Escales Documentaires 2021, France
CHANGING ROOM
Atefeh Rahmani | | 2022 | 25 min | Iran | Sub: English | 15+
Her life path will change forever when an adult girl does something that appears scandalous to her society and her family.
MY SUNNY MAAD
Michaela Pavlátová | Feature Animation, Drama | 2021 | 80 min | Ceko, Slovakia, France | Sub: English | 15+
When Herra, a Czech woman, falls in love with Nazir, an Afghan, she has no idea about the life that awaits her in post-Taliban Afghanistan, nor about the family she is about to join. A grandfather who is a feminist, an adopted young boy who astounds with his intellect, and Freshta, who will do anything to run away from her abusive husband. Like the other women in the family, Herra wears a burka and hides in a closet when guests arrive. She soon starts a new job with an American woman, Heidi, who has little understanding of the way women live in Afghanistan, and still less that not everybody wants to be saved by Westerners.
Awards:
Winner, Jury Award, Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2021
Nominee, Best Motion Picture - Animated, Golden Globe, USA 2022
NOT MY MOTHER’S BAKING
Remi M. Sali | Romance Comedy | 2020 | 112 min | Singapore | Sub: English | 13+
Sarah has always been in the shadow of her mother, Celebrity Chef Siti. When she tries to make her own mark in the baking industry, she is unexpectedly caught between two men yearning for her affections. Imran is the perfect gentleman any Malay-Muslim parents would approve for their daughter, while Edwin is an earnest Chinese vlogger who, as Sarah's brother blatantly declares, isn't “halal”! To complicate matters, Edwin comes from a Taoist Chinese family which runs a popular roast pork hawker stall. And being the filial Chinese son, he is expected to marry a nice Chinese girl and take over the family business. Will Sarah be able to navigate through their differences? Or will she succumb to family and societal expectations?
Awards:
Winner Inter-religion Special Jury: Municipality of Arco, Religion Today Film Festival 2021
*The director will be present at the post-screening discussion
Expired
Mohammed Abdeen | Drama | 2021 | 6 min | Syria | Sub: English | 13+
Her life path will change forever when an adult girl does something that appears scandalous to her society and her family.
Bibijan
Iman Paknahad, Narges Judaki | Documentary | 2021 | 40 min | Iran | Sub: English | 13+
Bibijan, seorang pengungsi Afghan kecil yang manis, dibantai. Pada malam pernikahannya. Ketika baru berusia 13 tahun. Di bawah tembok di pinggiran Sirjan, di tengah-tengah Iran. Hari ini perempuan berziarah ke puing-puing makam seorang gadis yang tak mereka ketahui namanya. “Ini cerita tentang gadis yang diampuni oleh agama tapi tidak oleh sukunya,” kata sang pembunuhnya.
Awards:
Audience Award, Best Directing Award, Iranian Documentary Film Festival 2021, Iran