Three-film event aims to raise awareness about situation of women in Iran
By Roya Ghorbani-Elizeh
Starting tonight, the new Commons will be transported across the Atlantic Ocean to Iran with a film series sponsored by the Feminist Discussion Group (FDG). For three nights in March, students and faculty will be able to view the "Women of Iran" film series commemorating National Women's Day, which was on March 8.
A different Iranian film will be shown tonight, March 24 and 30 at 6:00 p.m. during dinner in the new Commons. The films in the series are "Border Café," "Women's Prison" and "The Fish Fall in Love."
Senior political science major Stefanie Doolittle got the idea to bring the film series to The Bluff after seeing a similar series, which was sponsored by the Global Film Initiative and the Global Fund for Women, during a trip in New York City.
"The Global Fund for Women promotes events and parties in the month of March to raise awareness for women's rights around the world," Doolittle said. "They also grant money to women led organizations around the world."
After receiving funds from various humanities departments on campus to purchase the films, Doolittle needed to find a club that would sponsor the film series. The FDG agreed to promote the series on campus.
"I didn't know the group existed before all of this," Doolittle said. "The club fit perfectly with the idea behind the series."
Doolittle is now a member of the FDG, which meets every Monday in Franz Hall 234 at 6:00 p.m.
Members of the FDG were eager to participate and support the "Women of Iran" film series.
"We all thought it was a good idea when Stefanie brought this to us," said Suzzane Cawthra, senior Vice-President of the FDG. "We haven't talked about the women's issues in Iran, so these films will be educational to all of us."
Cawthra believes that the event will bring awareness to issues women are facing in another country.
"We just wanted to get people talking about what's happening," Cawthra said. "We like to do things that spark interest to get people talking."
The international films in the series focus on women and their rights in Iran. But Doolittle hopes that these Iranian films will spark student's interests in women's rights around the world.
"We should have a comparative focus of women's rights around the world," Doolittle said. "It is important to look at women's rights in the international arena regardless of where you live."
The first film in the series, "Border Café," was filmed in Iran and released in 2005. Iran submitted the film for the Best Foreign film category for the 2006 Oscars.
"Border Café," (also released as "Transit Café") centers around an Iranian mother of two named Reyhan whose husband recently died. Local custom in this small town dictates that she should marry her brother-in-law, who would help take care of her and her two daughters.
Reyhan, from another part of Iran, refuses to marry her brother-in-law and instead re-opens her late husband's café, which sits on the Turkish border. She runs the café under intense scrutiny of the town because of the belief that she is "dishonoring" her late husband.
The movie, which includes a blooming romance and the rescue of a Russian immigrant, is a social commentary of what is expected of a widow under Islamic rule.
"Border Café" is playing in the new Commons at 6 p.m. tonight.
