Friday, May 7, 11:00 AM, Charles Theatre 3

Director: Brigitte Brault and the Aina Women Filming Group

Cast: Polly Hyman (narrator), the Aina Women Filming Group

Country: Afghanistan/U.S.
Year: 2003
Running Time: 52 minutes
Format: DVD

Fourteen young women journalists, participants in a groundbreaking training program supported by the Asia Foundation, capture the reflections, strengths, fears, and hopes for the future of over 70 women living in Afghanistan. Their compelling interviews give a voice not only to women silenced by the oppressive regime of the Taliban, but by turning the camera on each other, these interviews reveal a newly awakened sense of opportunity and personal responsibility for the journalists involved. In a country where women are not allowed to appear in public, let alone travel, these young women use their medium to challenge and change themselves and the world around them.

-- Erin Jakowski

Mehria Azizi, Journalist, Camerawoman and Filmmaker, is 20 years old and has always lived in Kabul. She worked as a high school teacher and also at Kabul TV. Mehria traveled to Badakhshan and Jalalabad for the first film and also toured Europe to promote the documentary and is now working full time with AINA as a video journalist. "When I travel to film my Afghan sisters, I think about my mother. She was killed by the moujahedines in 1992, I was a little girl and I had to take care of my little brother. Today it's me who works to provide for my family." Mehria had to move from her house very recently as the rent doubled in the past few months. She now lives with her family close to the University. His older brother, who was an officer in the Afghan army, has been laid off and does not work for almost two years now. She is the only one providing for her family as her brothers and sisters are still at school.

Carol Yost has been with The Asia Foundation since 1989 and has directed the Foundation's Women's Programs since 1993. In that capacity, she oversees all of the Foundation's programs to empower women across the Asia-Pacific region in conjunction with the Foundation's 17 country field offices and local partner organizations. Based in Washington, D.C., Carol travels to Asia regularly to collaborate with the Foundation's expert staff to develop programs that advance women's political participation, legal rights, education, and economic opportunity and to support efforts that combat violence against women and trafficking of women and children.