November 4, 2021
The Oakland University Film Studies and Production program, with co-sponsorship by the College of Arts and Sciences, Student Affairs and Diversity, Women and Gender Studies, and the English department, is hosting a festival of three films about the lives of women in Afghanistan, directed by Afghan women. The festival will take place Nov. 7-21 on Sundays.
• Nov. 7 at 5 p.m. “A Thousand Girls Like Me” (Sahra Mani, 2018) at Film Lab, 3105 Holbrook Ave., Hamtramck. Free admission, pre-registration required.
The story of a young Afghan woman’s brave fight for justice after experiencing years of abuse at the hands of her father. Content Warning: This film discusses physical and sexual abuse. Please note there are only 35 tickets for this event. Please do not book if you may not attend.
• Nov. 14 at 5 p.m. “In the Rumbling Belly of the Motherland” (Brishkay Ahmed, 2021) at Film Lab, 3105 Holbrook Ave., Hamtramck. Free admission, pre-registration required.
As conductors of information, three journalists report on bombings, elections, and Taliban and U.S. peace talks for the Women’s News Network in Kabul, Afghanistan. Please note there are only 35 tickets for this event. Please do not book if you may not attend.
• Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. Signature closing event. “Hava, Maryam, Ayesha” (Sahraa Karimi, 2019), followed by Q&A with special guest speakers Arezo Ariapoor (Afghan actress), Fariba Pajooh (journalist formerly stationed in Kabul), Yusuf Sultani (Afghan Association of Michigan), and representatives from Freedom House Detroit (organization for asylum-seekers and refugees). At Cinema Detroit, 4126 Third Street, Detroit. Tickets $12 or $10.50 for OU students. $1 of each ticket sale goes to Freedom House Detroit.
Three Afghan women from different social backgrounds, living in Kabul, are facing a big challenge in their lives. Hava, a traditional pregnant woman whom no one cares about, is living with her father and mother-in-law. Her only joy is talking to the baby in her belly. Maryam, an educated TV news reporter, is about to get a divorce from her unfaithful husband, but finds out she is pregnant. Ayesha, an 18-year-old girl, agrees to marry her cousin because she is pregnant by her boyfriend who disappears after hearing the news.
Bridget Kies, assistant professor of film studies and production, said the festival is intended to spread education and awareness about Afghanistan.
“As far as it being a women-focused festival, that decision came because we know that life for women under the Taliban is much harder,” Kies said. “These films were all made in a window of time when women had relatively more freedom to work and create art, and we wanted to celebrate that.”
She added, “Since Michigan is poised to receive refugees, the festival is intended to evoke empathy and to encourage people to get involved however we can from here in the United States. That's also why we decided to partner with Freedom House Detroit, an organization that works with refugees and asylum seekers.”
Vaccinations and masks are required at all films. Donations for Freedom House Detroit will be taken at the door each weekend. Please use this form to register for Nov. 7 and 14. To purchase tickets for Nov. 21, visit the Cinema Detroit website.