‘Dying To Divorce’: UK Documentary on Turkish Domestic Violence in Oscars Race
New
Age Islam News Bureau
02
December 2021
•
All Out Efforts to Ensure Women Empowerment In Balochistan, Says Dr Rubaba
Buledi
•
Cairo World Premiere for Jordanian Film Highlighting Arab Women’s Issues
•
Film Festival Celebrates Extraordinary Women in Film
•
Violence against Women Increases Due To COVID-19: UN Women Report
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/dying-divorce-turkish-domestic-violence/d/125887
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‘Dying
To Divorce:’ UK Documentary On Turkish Domestic Violence In Oscars Race
A
movie highlighting domestic violence in Turkey has been nominated as the UK’s
official entry for the Best International Feature Film award at the Oscars.
(Supplied)
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December
02, 2021
ANKARA:
A movie highlighting domestic violence in Turkey has been nominated as the UK’s
official entry for the Best International Feature Film award at the Oscars.
The
five candidates for Best International Feature Film are set to be announced in
February, before the Academy Awards take place on March 27.
Although
one film cannot decrease domestic violence and murder figures overnight, “Dying
to Divorce” has already triggered a global public debate about the issue that
has universal relevance.
Filmed
over five years by producer Sinead Kirwan and director Chloe Fairweather the
film revolves around the testimonies of two Turkish female victims of abuse,
Arzu Boztas and Kubra Eken.
The
documentary also follows Ipek Bozkurt, a defiant female lawyer in Turkey
fighting the culture of violence through the courts, and Aysen Kavas, a women’s
rights activist. The personal narratives and a critical eye on the systemic
shortcomings give the movie further emotional impact.
Mother-of-six
Boztas, a housewife married at 14 in central Anatolia in a conservative milieu,
was left disabled after being shot at close range six times in her arms and
legs when she asked her husband for a divorce.
In
the film, her conservative father who gave permission for the marriage, said:
“I ruined the lives of my children just to keep with tradition.”
Eken,
a successful TV presenter at Bloomberg News in London, was struck several times
on the head by her producer husband two days after giving birth to their
daughter. She suffered a serious brain hemorrhage in the attack that for years
prevented her from speaking and walking, although her husband blamed her
situation on the Caesarean section operation she had.
Both
victims had difficulties claiming justice for what had happened to them and
securing custody for their children. But with the help of lawyers and activists
in Turkey they finally won legal victories following years of battling through
the courts.
Despite
coming from different socio-cultural environments, the women were united in
wanting to tell their stories to the world.
The
film, now showing in UK cinemas, has already received several prizes and
nominations at European film festivals and was nominated for a British
Independent Film Award.
Figures
show that in recent years, more than 400 women have been murdered annually by
either their partners or family members with some attackers even getting their
sentences reduced by claiming provocation or for showing good behavior during
their trial.
Domestic
violence and femicide remains a major problem in Turkey where 38 percent of
women experience abuse by their partner, according to World Health Organization
data.
Bozkurt,
who will be attending a number of special screenings of the documentary in
Scotland, is part of the We Will End Femicide platform that has been monitoring
cases of violence and murder on a daily basis for 11 years.
The
lawyer told Arab News that the power of the documentary came from its
elaboration of the issue from a global perspective without reducing it to a
mere domestic problem for Turkey.
She
said: “Domestic violence is also a major problem in many Western countries,
including the UK. We tried to demonstrate the inner strength of these two
ladies and their relentless fight to stay alive by using the power of the
media. And I believe such a narrative will inspire many women around the
world.”
Bozkurt
pointed out that gender inequality penetrated across various social segments
and was not restricted to disadvantaged communities.
“However,
fighting against it requires a holistic and integrated approach. Not only
politicians, but also media and activists have a key responsibility. This
documentary, by not using the pornography of violence, emphasized the core of
their fight against impunity and tried to show that these women have a cause to
defend not only for themselves but also for the rights of their fellows,” she
added.
In
recent years, more women in Turkey have come forward to fight for justice over
domestic violence and for changes in legislation to protect them.
Kavas,
a representative of the We Will End Femicide platform, noted that the movement had
empowered women to speak up.
She
told Arab News: “We gave them a boost for not giving up from the struggle for
their rights. But we, the women of Turkey, prefer to have more descent lives
rather than being the subject of Oscar-nominated documentaries.
“I’m
not fighting because this is something that can happen to me. I’m fighting
because it can happen to anyone.”
On
Nov. 9, 28-year-old Basak Cengiz, a young architect, was stabbed to death by a
man wielding a samurai sword when she was walking down a street in one of
Istanbul’s crowded districts. Her attacker admitted he was simply out to kill
someone. “I preferred to kill a woman because I thought she would be an easier
target,” he said.
Kavas
helped Boztas with her legal case. “She is now living with prosthetic legs and
had several operations after the violence she endured. However, she always says
that in the past she was feeling herself less free when she was married with
her ex-husband.
“With
the campaigns that we have been carrying out for years, women are not quiet
anymore on the subject of violence. We made a lot of noise, and they no longer
feel alone,” Kavas said.
Further
information on the documentary can be found at http://dyingtodivorce.com
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1979441/lifestyle
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All
Out Efforts to Ensure Women Empowerment In Balochistan, Says Dr Rubaba Buledi
Dr
Rubaba Buledi, Women Parliamentarians Forum’s Chairperson
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December
02, 2021
QUETTA
- Women Parliamentarians Forum, Women Ombudsman Secretariat and FDI Pakistan
have agreed to take joint steps for effective implementation of anti-harassment
laws and code of conduct in the workplaces in Balochistan.
Women
Parliamentarians Forum’s Chairperson Dr. Rubaba Khan Buledi and head of the
Forum for Dignity Initiatives (FDI) Pakistan Azami Yaqoob met with Provincial
Women Ombudsman Sabira Islam on Wednesday to discuss the implementation of
anti-harassment laws in Balochistan and to provide a safe and conducive
environment for women in the workplaces gave suggestions for improvement.
On
the occasion, Provincial Women Ombudsman Sabira Islam said that a conducive and
safe environment should be created in all government and private offices of Balochistan
and places where women would be working.
Therefore,
the code of conduct of the Provincial Women Ombudsman Secretariat has been
posted in a clear place and instructions have been given to set up committees
for its implementation, she said.
She
said that in the context of tribal traditions of Balochistan, the affected
women have to face strict social attitudes and difficulties in taking action
under anti-harassment laws. Efforts are being made to provide all possible
legal assistance to the affected women keeping in view their privacy, she
added. Sabira Islam also appreciated the
offer of cooperation from Women Parliamentarians Forum Balochistan and FDI and
hoped that the implementation of anti-harassment laws and code of conduct would
yield effective results under comprehensive measures.
On
the occasion, Chairperson of Women Parliamentarians Forum Dr. Rubaba Khan
Baludi while praising the performance and initiatives of Provincial Women
Ombudsman Sabira Islam in Balochistan said that legal action against those
involved in serious moral crime like harassment would discourage and root out
such incidents from the area.
She
said that the Balochistan Assembly was working on effective legislation for the
collective welfare of women including protection of women saying member of
provincial assembly (MPAs) women are committed to continuing the legislation to
empower women in Balochistan economically and in the decision-making process.
On
the occasion, FDI Pakistan’s head Azami Yaqoob said her organization would
provide all possible support for the proposed feasible projects including
Awareness and Training of Trainers.
Source:
News Nation Pakistan
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Cairo
world premiere for Jordanian film highlighting Arab women’s issues
29/11/2021
CAIRO
-
After
five short films and a long career in TV production, Jordanian director Zaid
Abu Hamdan decided to embark upon his first fictional experience with the long
feature “Daughters of Abdul-Rahman”, which took seven years to produce.
The
film, which mainly addresses Arab women’s issues, stars Saba Mubarak, Hanan
Helou, Farah Bseiso, Maryam Pasha, Khaled Al-Tarifi and the child Yasmina
Al-Abed.
It
has been premiered abroad at the forty-third Cairo International Film Festival,
taking part in the official competition.
The
film tells the story of an older man, Abdul- Rahman, who owns a small library
in the Ashrafieh district of the Jordanian capital, Amman. His late wife gave
birth to four daughters, while he always dreamt of having a boy.
Each
of Abdul-Rahman’s daughters lives a completely different life from the others.
The eldest is Zainab, who dreamed of entering a music institute. Instead,
staying unmarried, she takes care of her father, who has limited means, burying
her talent behind the piles of clothes she sews after she turned herself into a
neighbourhood seamstress.
The
second daughter is Amal, who married young, wears the niqab and has given birth
to a number of children. She is physically abused by her husband who wants to
marry off their youngest daughter at the age of fifteen.
The
third is Samah, who was able to marry a wealthy man who gave her a decent
standard of living, but for years she has failed to have children from him. She
eventually discovers he is gay.
As
for the fourth, Khitam, she caused great heartbreak for her father after she
travelled to Dubai to live with her boyfriend outside marriage, which made the
whole family live with a sense of shame.
When
the four daughters have their first reunion in years at their father’s home,
they discover that he has upped and left leaving no sign of where he has
gone. This compels them to start
searching for him. Their search becomes an opportunity for the daughters to
look back at their lives and make bold adjustments.
The
story raises issues of family life, customs and traditions and specifically the
upbringing of girls in Arab societies. It also deals with thorny issues such as
domestic violence, under-age marriage, gender discrimination and the wearing of
the niqab.
Zaid
Abu Hamdan says that he was inspired by his social environment and the life he
led during his youth in Jordan before living for many years in the United
States.
He
adds that he spent over five years working on the film, while production took
two years before its world premiere at the Cairo Film Festival, which opened
last Friday.
He
points out: “There was no intention to disparage men in the film. This is not
our goal in writing, directing or production, but we tell the story of girls
and if there are negative male role models, perhaps this is an opportunity for
some to reconsider the role of men in society.”
He
adds, “I wish everyone who watches the film to look at himself for a moment and
think of his mother in a different way, not as a loving woman who takes care of
him, but think of her as a human being … and wonder if she was happy, if her dreams came true and if
she loved her life.”
Source:
The Arab Weekly
https://thearabweekly.com/cairo-world-premiere-jordanian-film-highlighting-arab-womens-issues
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Film
Festival Celebrates Extraordinary Women in Film
December
01, 2021
JEDDAH
— The Red Sea International Film Festival (RedSeaIFF), which will have its
inaugural edition from Dec. 6-15, is Wednesday announcing a number of
celebrations in honor of the ground-breaking contribution of women to cinema,
including tributes and masterclasses from some of the most inspiring female
names in cinema.
The
Festival will honor the first female Saudi filmmaker Haifaa Al Mansour, who is
not only one of the most significant names in the Saudi film industry, but has
lead the way in championing female empowerment across the region.
Her
feature debut, Wadjda, was the first film to ever be shot in the Kingdom, and
was nominated for numerous international awards, including the BAFTA Award for
Best Film not in the English language. She has since gone on to direct numerous
TV shows and films internationally, including Mary Shelley and Nappily Ever
After, and continues to break ground in filmmaking.
Al
Mansour explained: “I am incredibly honoured to return home to Saudi Arabia for
the first edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival. Those of us who
worked tirelessly with dreams of cinema finding a home here know what a truly
monumental event this is for the Kingdom, the region and the world.
“I
believe strongly in the power of art to foster positive development and
opportunity in our community and hope that this festival serves as a strong
foundation for a burgeoning industry that will nurture and amplify our stories
and dreams well into the future.”
When
I started making films years ago, the idea of working as a director seemed
outlandish. But I knew that the world was curious to hear from us, to hear our
side of the story, and that films from our part of the world would strike a
chord with audiences around the world. Now, returning home as an honoree at our
first film festival, seems just as unbelievable.
It
is an incredible honor for me, and such a wonderful opportunity to see the best
of up-and-coming talent from the region. The world is still eager to hear from
us, and I am so excited to see the infrastructure of a cinematic industry being
built to help realize our cinematic visions. I am so excited to see what comes
next!”
Academy
Award and BAFTA nominated French actress Catherine Deneuve will also be honored
by the Festival. Deneuve is widely considered to be one of the greatest
European actresses of all time, and is renowned for her extraordinary contributions
to film, most notably her performances in 8 Women, Repulsion, Belle de Jour,
Dancer in the Dark and Indochine, for which she was nominated for the 1992
Academy Award for Best Actress.
She
is a multiaward-winning actress, having won two of her native France’s César
Awards, amongst 14 nominations, and has won Venice Film Festival’s prestigious
Volpi Cup for Best Actress, as well as many other international awards.
Deneuve
said: “It is always an honor to have your work recognized by the industry, and
I am especially grateful for this honour, and the opportunity to be a part of
this wider celebration of the contribution of women to cinema.
“I
hope that my work can help inspire young women to chart their own successful
careers in this industry, and I hope that this acknowledgement of the
contribution of women in cinema in general continues to underscore the
importance of having a strong female presence both in front of and behind the
camera.”
The
Festival will honor Egyptian actress Laila Eloui, who is one of the most
respected and prolific actresses in the region, having starred in more than 70
films. Perhaps best known for her roles in I Love Cinema, Kalil Mina Al-Hob
Kathir Mina Al-Unf and Girl’s Love, she has been universally recognized for her
work, and is the recipient of both awards in her native Egypt and from
international festivals worldwide.
Her
onscreen presence has continued to delight and uplift audiences, and
festivalgoers of the RedSeaIFF will have the unique opportunity to join Eloui
in a masterclass where she will discuss her extensive and storied career.
Festivalgoers
will also not want to miss the masterclass delivered by a true Egyptian cinema
legend, Yousra. The actress, singer and all-around megastar, is not only one of
the most recognisable names in the region, but is widely considered to be one
of the most exceptional and talented actors of her generation.
Her
fascinating career has seen her appear in over 80 films, and she has received
more than 50 awards worldwide, from local, regional and international
festivals.
Alongside
these tributes and masterclasses, the Festival will be screening 135 films of
which 38% are directed by women.
Shivani
Pandya, managing director of the RedSeaIFF, said: “Celebrating the contribution
of women to cinema is central to the mission of the Festival. We are honored to
be able to give a platform to local emerging female directors, writers and
actors, who have been crucial in the development and progression of the Saudi
film industry.
“Beyond
this, we are thrilled to be able to honor the contribution of women to Arab and
international cinema, through specific tributes and masterclasses, and are
inspired by these women and the work they have done to lead the empowerment of
women in our industry.” — SG
Source:
Saudi Gazette
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/614217
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Violence
against women increases due to COVID-19: UN Women report
November
25, 2021
Almost
half of women reported that they or a woman they knew experienced a form of
violence since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the report,
"Measuring the shadow pandemic: Violence against women during
COVID-19," which is based on survey data from 13 countries.
About
a quarter of women were feeling less safe at home while existing conflict
increased within households since the pandemic started, according to the
report, released on the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of
Violence Against Women, which falls on Nov. 25.
When
women were asked why they felt unsafe at home, they cited physical abuse as one
of the reasons (21 percent). Some women specifically reported that they were
hurt by other family members (21 percent) or that other women in the household
were being hurt (19 percent).
Outside
their homes, women were also feeling more exposed to violence, with 40 percent
of respondents saying they felt less safe walking around alone at night since
the onset of COVID-19. About 3 in 5 women also thought that sexual harassment
in public spaces worsened during COVID-19.
Socio-economic
stress factors such as financial pressure, unemployment, food insecurity and
tense family relations stood out as having a significant impact not only on
experiences of safety (or violence), but also on women's well-being overall.
"Violence
against women is an existing global crisis that thrives on other crises.
Conflict, climate-related natural disasters, food insecurity and human rights
violations all contribute to women and girls living with a sense of danger,
even in their own homes, neighborhoods, or communities," said UN Women
Executive Director Sima Bahous in a press release.
"The
COVID-19 pandemic, which necessitated isolation and social distancing, enabled
a second, shadow pandemic of violence against women and girls, where they often
found themselves in lockdown with their abusers. Our new data underlines the
urgency of concerted efforts to end this." – Agencies
Source:
Saudi Gazette
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/613990
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