The Poetess – Human Rights Watch Film Festival

9 March '18 at 8:45 pm - 10 March '18 at 8:30 pm

“When you isolate women, you isolate the soul of the whole society.” – Hissa Hilal, film subject, The Poetess

Saudi poetess Hissa Hilal made headlines around the world as the first woman to reach the finals of the Arab world’s biggest televised poetry competition, “Million’s Poet.” The Poetess is the inspiring story of a woman risking her personal safety and seizing an opportunity, live on TV in front of 75 million viewers, to use her wit and lyricism to critique patriarchal society and religious extremism, and to urge for a more peaceful Islam.

“It’s so rare to have a documentary on Saudi Arabia, and to have one with a woman who covers her face explaining the history of the imposition of such discrimination is incredible. The Poetess champions the invisible and unexpected women fighting this hard battle for change.” – Rothna Begum, Researcher, Women’s Rights Division, Human Rights Watch

Filmmaker(s): Stefanie Brockhaus and Andreas Wolff | 2017 | 90m | Language(s): Arabic | Genre: Documentary | Distributor: Cat&Docs
March 09, 2018, 8:45 PM at the Barbican, London. Tickets: £12. Buy tickets here
Screening followed by discussion with filmmaker Stefanie Brockhaus and Rothna Begum, Women’s Rights Division Researcher, HRW *This film is subtitled in English. BSL interpretation will be provided for the Q&A.
March 10, 2018, 8:30 PM at BFI Southbank, London. Tickets: £8.80 – £12. Buy them here
Screening followed by discussion with filmmaker Stefanie Brockhaus and Rothna Begum, Women’s Rights Division Researcher, HRW *This film is subtitled in English. BSL interpretation will be provided for the Q&A.

Venue

Barbican and BFI Southbank

Organiser

Human Rights Watch Film Festival

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