Congratulations to Aćim Vasić on persevering for six years to get funding for the film “Prey,” or “La Proie.” Check out the finished product!
“Prey” (“La Proie”) from Aćim Vasić on Vimeo.
Video: La Proie / Prey
Watch OVARIAN PSYCOS Tonight
Watch OVARIAN PSYCOS on PBS’ Independent Lens TONIGHT at 10 p.m.!
“Riding at night through Eastside Los Angeles, the Ovarian Psycos use their bicycles to confront the violence in their lives [including street harassment]. At the helm of the crew is founder Xela de la X, a single mother and poet M.C. dedicated to recruiting an unapologetic, misfit crew of women of color, yet she struggles to strike a balance between motherhood and activism. Evie, a bright eyed recruit, joins the crew and despite poverty and the concerns of her protective Salvadoran mother, discovers a newfound confidence. Meanwhile, Andi Xoch, a founding member and street artist who knows the deeply activist legacy from which the Ovas emerge, journeys to become a new leader within the crew.”
Screening of New Egyptian Street Harassment Film in Chicago
[Editor’s Note: This is being shared with the permission of the filmmakers]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHICAGO, IL – Sep 28, 2016 – A new documentary on sexual harassment in Egypt directed by Chicago filmmaker to screen at Jane Addams Museum
Sexual harassment is a pervasive issue internationally, yet it has only recently gained more attention in the media. By intimidating and objectifying women in public spaces, harassment discourages women from working, socializing, and living a normal life. Egypt has recently been identified as the worst country for women in the Arab world, largely due to the staggering UN statistic that 99% of Egyptian women have been sexually harassed. But the epidemic not only exists abroad; according to Stop Street Harassment, 65% of women in the US have experienced street harassment, with an even higher prevalence in urban areas. This makes this topic extremely relevant for the Chicago community at large.
An award-winning documentary on sexual harassment in Egypt, “The People’s Girls,” is a crowdfunded film that is the recipient of awards from the Worldfest Houston International Film Festival, International Open Film Festival, and the Ambassador Award at the Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival. It has also been featured in various media outlets, such as Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, France 24, El Mundo.
In the documentary, directors Colette Ghunim and Tinne Van Loon interview both harassers and survivors in Egypt to explore the root of this problem. They talk with women who have fought back and also conduct hidden camera social experiments. Before filming the documentary, Ghunim and Van Loon created a short clip titled “Creepers on the Bridge”, which captured the feeling of being stared at and catcalled in the streets of Cairo. It went viral, quickly gaining over 2 million views worldwide. They then created a Kickstarter campaign to fund their documentary on sexual harassment in Egypt. Over the following months, they were interviewed by many international news sources. They received contributions from over 500 backers worldwide on Kickstarter and gain a fanbase of over 11,000 people on Facebook to create “The People’s Girls”.
In honor of International Day of the Girl, the Illinois Humanities Council and MALA will host a screening of the documentary on Tuesday, October 11 at 6 p.m. at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum. Co-director Colette Ghunim will also be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.
Order tickets through their Eventbrite page, which has a suggested donation amount of $10. These funds will go towards a campaign to conduct free screenings in six different locations across Egypt in February 2016.
The People’s Girls – Synopsis
Sexual harassment has been a growing problem in Egypt over the last few years, especially in Cairo. UN Women reported that over 99% of Egyptian women have suffered from sexual harassment in their lifetime. Due to the extensive media coverage on the issue, the Egyptian government introduced anti-sexual harassment legislation, making it possible for harassers to face years in prison.
In September of 2014, filmmakers Colette Ghunim and Tinne Van Loon created a viral video, Creepers on the Bridge, showing the haunting stares of sexual harassers in Cairo’s streets. They now bring you The People’s Girls, a documentary film which through a series of interviews and social experiments takes a closer look at Egypt to see who is to blame for harassment and how women are fighting back. Because patriarchal societies often overlook women’s rights violations, this documentary serves as a catalyst for public debate not only in Egypt but internationally, as prominent cases of sexual harassment frequently occur on a global scale.
Website: www.thepeoplesgirls.com
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/benaatelnas
Twitter: @thepeoplesgirls
Film: “Ovarian Psycos”
UPDATE: Support the film’s Kickstarter campaign!
This new film
is premiering at SXSW!
“The Ovarian Psycos gear up and ride out into the night, fanning out in pairs of two, four, and six. In constant motion, cruising up and down the storied streets of Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, and Lincoln Heights, they call out to new riders to join them in a journey through the neighborhood. “Whose streets? Our streets!”
Since forming in the summer of 2011 by activist, poet M.C., and single mother, Xela de la X, the Ova’s have made it their mission to cycle for the purpose of healing, reclaiming their neighborhoods, and creating safer streets for women on the Eastside. At first only attracting a few local women, over the past few years the Ovarian Psycos have inspired a ferocious and unapologetic crowd of local heroines who are a visible force along the barrios and boulevards of Los Angeles.
Ovarian Psycos rides along with the Ova’s, exploring the impact of the group’s brand of feminism on neighborhood women and communities as they confront the violence in their lives.”
Wonderful!
Canada: Video – “Dear Stranger”
Watch “Dear Stranger,” created by Hanna Cortés, a student at the Vancouver Film School.
Hanna wrote the following about the project:
“Dear Stranger” is a project that reflects the situation of a woman being harassed on the streets. It was inspired from watching lots of women (including myself) feeling uncomfortable when walking to work, school or just home.
One evening, I was getting ready to go to a bar close to my place and I realized how much I change my clothes to try to “not grab attention from men.” I thought it was absurd, because that night I wasn’t even showing that much skin. I was wearing a simple skirt and a plaid shirt. I was confused but decided to be myself and that’s what I’ve been doing. It shouldn’t matter how much or how few clothes you are wearing, people should have respect for others.
I hope this video helps men understand how bad it is for a woman to be followed, looked at and talked to without any respect. I encourage women to be themselves everyday, that’s a beautiful thing, and it should not be taken away because of someone in the street.
Again, thanks so much to Stop Street Harassment for their everyday labour. Thanks to Holly Kearl for all the support.”
Thank you for using your talents to bring attention to this issue, Hanna!