Focus In! Film Series and Anotherway Now present A Thousand Girls Like Me
Date and Time
Oct 22, 2019 6:30 pm
Location
Brookland
625 Monroe St NE, Washington, District of Columbia, 20017
Oct 22, 2019 6:30 pm
Brookland
Join Busboys and Poets Focus-In! Film Series: Cinema for a Conscious Community and Anotherway Now for a screening of the documentary A Thousand Girls Like Me, A film by Sahra Mani. Followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and special guests.
In Afghanistan, where systematic abuses of girls rarely come to light and seeking justice can be deadly, one young woman says “Enough". Khatera was brutally raped by her father since the age of nine and today she raises two precious children whom he sired. Against her family's and many Afghanis' wishes, Khatera tells her story publicly on national TV and forces her father to stand trial. This is her incredible story of love, hope, bravery, forgiveness, and truth.
Conversation to be Moderated by Human Rights Lawyer Amit Pandya
Speakers:
Belquis Ahmadi, United States Institute of Peace. She speaks with great authority about the current peace process and is inspired by Khatera's story. She is particularly interested in the implications of the political moment on women's rights and how Khatera would fare in different possible scenarios for the future of Afghanistan. CV here: https://www.usip.org/people/belquis-ahmadi
Arash Azizzzada - filmmaker, journalist, and community activist currently living in Washington, D.C. The son of Afghan refugees who fled Afghanistan in the wake of the Soviet invasion, Arash is deeply involved in organizing and mobilizing the Afghan-American community, co-founding the Afghan Diaspora for Equity and Progress (ADEP) in 2016. ADEP, the first organization of its kind to emerge in the Afghan-American community, aims to raise awareness of social injustice and train and empower change-makers to tackle issues ranging from environmental racism to access to voting. In 2018, Azizzada and his ADEP colleagues focused their efforts on increasing civic participation and voting among Afghan-Americans in California, home to the largest segment of the Afghan diaspora in the US. This year, ADEP has committed its focus and resources to promote the voices of women and other marginalized groups in Afghanistan as peace talks and reconciliation efforts continue to take shape. https://adeprogress.org/action/afghan-peace-talks/
He has also done some additional work in the Afghan diaspora focusing on domestic violence within the Afghan American community. You can read a speech he gave last year here: https://www.arashazizzada.com/writing
"The raw, heartbreaking film shows the double threat of a broken judicial system and ingrained oppressive and sexist attitudes. But the uplifting ending offers a glimmer of hope." The New York Times
"A gripping look at sexual and physical abuse, incest and societal restrictions upon women in Afghanistan.” Medium
"An extraordinary film." The Guardian
Watch the TRAILER
Anotherway Now is a non-profit organization that shines a spotlight on human rights issues. Through special events such as film screenings and discussions, by bringing together passionate people and creating safe space for debate, Anotherway Now aims to influence the conversations people have about what is happening in our world and to inspire them to take action and do what little they can to make things change.
Join the conversation. Be part of the solution.
Our hashtags:
#letstalkANOTHERWAYNOW
#letstalkWOMENSRIGHTS
#letstalkHUMNARIGHTS
Focus-In! Film Series: Cinema for a Conscious Community is a Busboys and Poets-produced monthly film series that screens films with a focus dedicated to social justice, peace, art, music, and/or community value.
Free and open to all!
Seating is first come first serve for this event. Full service provided.
