Week showcases women’s issues through lens of diverse filmmakers

AMMAN — The fourth Women’s Film Week opened on Tuesday, offering a "unique opportunity for the Jordanian public to see and reflect on women’s issues as portrayed through the work of various national and international filmmakers", organisers said Wednesday.

HRH Princess Basma attended the week's opening ceremony. 

UN Women, in partnership with the Royal Film Commission, is organising the film week, with free screenings at the Rainbow Theatre in Jabal Amman continuing through Saturday.

"To mark the beginning of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, this year we decided to pay tribute to women’s champions from all around," a UN Women statement quoted Giuseppe Belsito, the agency's Jordan representative, as saying.

"Women, whose indomitable courage to overcome — what many would consider — impossible challenges is truly inspiring for all of us and is paving the way for a more equal future," he said.

The film week opened with the documentary "Burden of Peace", sponsored by the Dutch embassy. 

The documentary presents the story of Nobel Peace Prize nominee Claudia Paz y Paz — the first woman to lead the public prosecutor’s office in Guatemala. 

The week features two screenings per day at the Rainbow Theatre, one at 6pm and another at 8:30pm.

"This week of film screenings is about exceptional women, who strived to overcome challenges in order to achieve their dreams; those are either women who already changed the course of history or ordinary women who set the example by finding the courage and the will to make a change," the statement quoted Ghada Saba, the event's artistic director and Beijing+20 Global Gender Equality Champion, as saying.

As a special feature of this year’s film week, young volunteers engaged the public attending the event in order to raise awareness on the HeforShe solidarity movement, encouraging men and women to make a stand for gender equality and join the global campaign. 

Social media activists have also attended the opening ceremony, engaging the online community in the HeforShe movement.

Screenings continue on Thursday with the Korean film "Harmony".

The film follows Hong Jeong-hye, who is sentenced to serve 10 years in prison after killing her abusive husband. Pregnant at the time of her arrest, she gives birth to a baby boy behind bars, but must give him up for adoption according to the law.

One day, she sets out to start a choir with the help of Kim Moon-ok, a fellow inmate on death row for killing her adulterous husband and mistress. The prison chief promises her a special outing with her baby if she succeeds, according to the film week's official booklet.

Also on Thursday, "One UN Voice for Women Champions", a collection of short movies on women champions, produced and presented by UN agencies based in Jordan, will be screened at 8pm, followed by the US documentary short "She++".

US documentary "Big Dream" will also be screened, following "seven young women, who are breaking barriers and overcoming personal challenges to follow their passions in science, math, computing and engineering".

Friday will feature the screening of "Sophie Scholl: The Final Days" from Germany, and "Catia’s Choice" from Italy, while "Eye Contact" from Japan and "Coco before Chanel" from France will be screened on Saturday, according to the organisers.