Self-determined. Women make film

Country: Iraq
Contact person: info@elbarlament.org
Duration of the project: completed, 2020

Project objective: To give women from all parts of Iraq and with different artistic backgrounds the chance to learn about filmmaking and enable them to participate confidently in the cultural, political and social space.
Donors: The programme was funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.

The project offered a selection of women from all parts of Iraq and with different artistic backgrounds the chance to learn about filmmaking and enabled them to participate confidently in the cultural, political and social space.

International and Iraqi filmmakers led different workshops on filmmaking on topics such as scenario writing, cinematography, editing, production, etc. In addition, experts on specific film-related topics gave masterclasses and interactive trainings throughout the programme. The participants also had the opportunity to participate in a gender training and learn about the UN Resolution 1325 as well as discuss women’s issues in Iraq and how to reflect it in their cinematic work.

The aim of the project was to make the voices of women in Iraq visible and audible by ensuring that their artistic potential is accessible to a broader audience. Following the multi-stage training and production process for and with women, several films shot by the participants were presented to the public at a one-day film festival.

Through the interdisciplinary network that the participants built, they are encouraged to continue to exchange ideas and together make the interests and views of women in the Iraqi society more visible. These films were cut and edited by the participants under professional guidance and were subtitled in Arabic, Kurdish and English.