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Honduras' popular revolt is the highlight of fourth day of Women Film Festival Strength, resistance, civil disobedience, exile and oppression were among the issues raised during the fourth day of the Arab-Iberoamerican Women film festival
The fourth day of the Arab-Iberoamerican Women Film Festival (16-20 May), held at the Creativity Centre in the Cairo Opera House, offered three interesting and engaging documentary films; Kingdom of Women, Five Minutes Away from Home, and We Are Not Afraid. The high spot of the evening was We Are Not Afraid, which revolved around the Honduras' constitutional crisis and it's repercussions in 2009. At this time the popular president Manuel Zelaya, who had raised people's wages, suggested a referendum to change the constitution, which garnered little support from the right-wing ruling elite of the country, and later resulted in his ousting by the military. The people of Honduras, furious at the military coup, went out on the streets to demand the return of Zelaya. The camera vividly captured the revolt of a nation, with it's hopes, fear, victory and defeat, while engaging the viewer in the events and drawing them in so that the 90-minute documentary went by rapidly and ended quickly - or so it seemed. The filmmakers, Katia Lara and Carlos Del Valle, followed the progress of events closely, capturing the police brutality, the enforcement of a curfew and the tone of the army while addressing the nation, justifying their violence in maintaining the safety of the citizens. While it is true that the political situation in both countries is different, one can find the relevance and similarity with the recent events in Egypt. The images emerging on the screen created a sense of déjà-vu, not only in the manner in which the authorities dealt with the protestors, but also in the festive atmosphere in which the people protested. Colours, drum-beats, songs and a strong sense of pride emanated through the streets of Honduras during the popular revolt. The most depressing part of the film was when the president whom the people had fought for, sold them out at the end. Kingdom of Women, documented the stories of women living in the Ein El Helweh refugee camp in Lebanon and how they worked together to rebuild the camp after it was damaged by Israeli forces during the invasion of Lebanon in 1982, when the men were all either arrested or murdered, leaving only the women. The stories reflect the strength of Palestinian women, their endurance and resistance, while portraying the friendships between the women of Ein El Helweh. Real life images smoothly interweaved with animation, which made up for the lack of historical footage, while at the same time giving the documentary an endearing spirit. “I wanted to make something that was in contrast to the idea of victimisation that is often portrayed in the media,” said the filmmaker Rahma Abu Dana, during a discussion that followed the screening. Five Minutes Away from Home sheds light on the airport in the occupied territories of Jerusalem, which has changed from a place bustling with life, to becoming empty and abandoned. Despite the detachment of the documentary filmmaker from the subject, it still maintained some profound moments, especially while capturing the sense of isolation and restriction of movement that face the Palestinians on a daily basis. The least impressive during the evening were the one-minute videos, Letters Among Women, which were the outcome of a workshop by first-timers and amateurs. As one should not criticise beginners too harshly, it is not the technicality and amateurish style that were the stumbling blocks in these short films, rather the naïve symbolism that was used to address certain issues. One film showed a sign pointing towards ‘Tahrir' with people passing by, some move towards it, while others shrug and go the other way. Another film captured two shadow-figures, dancing together to soft, classical music, yet when two signs stating ‘me' and ‘the other' appear, the music becomes loud and aggressive as the figures start fighting one another. Perhaps the workshop's theme, ‘the other', led to these inane symbolic methods. This is why the best film was the one that contained less symbolism. It depicted a moment from daily life where a young man and woman, in an apparently intimate moment hold hands and smile, while each worries where the relationship is going, unraveling the layers of worry that are constantly covered by the cool and collected demeanour. Arab-Iberoamerican Women Film Festival – Friday 20 May at the Creativity Centre, Opera House complex 5 pm: Liniers, El Trazo Simple de las Cosas (Liniers, The Simple Road to Things) documentary, 77 minutes, Argentina 2010, directed by Franca González 7 pm: Short films from Cuba, documentary and feature films, 43 minutes, directed by Claudia Calderón, Julia Amanda García, Desirée Rondón and Juliana Fanjul Al Akhar Al Moshataha (The Desired Other) feature film, 75 minutes, Canada 2010, directed by Aliaa Khashouq
