Voices

SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2008

A Woman's Word (Palabra de Mujer)

film by Silvia G. Pondoza
Spain/Egypt/Lebanon/Morocco
2004, 52 minutes
Arabic, Subtitled

 

FILM:

Beautiful and intimate, "A Woman's Word" depicts the life and writings of three exceptional authors of the Arab word -- Nawal Al Saadawi from Egypt, Hanan Al Shaykh from Lebanon, and Janata Bennuna from Morocco. For all three women, becoming a writer was never a choice but a necessity -- a vocation fought for and hard won. In her own way, each writer struggles as an Arab woman in a society that often wants to shut down her powerful voice. Conveying the intense drive of these women to write as a way to make sense of the world, to battle their sense of alienation or to express their political dissent, this documentary shatters the clichéd image of the oppressed and helpless Arab woman too often portrayed in the media.

“A Woman's Word" deftly weaves together interviews, family photos, voiceovers of each author reading from her work, and lingering, sensual footage of the cities each woman lives in. Each author discusses her childhood, her development as a writer, and the political and cultural forces that have shaped her life and work. By allowing the viewer to enter, for a moment, into the vibrant lives of these authors, this film offers an accessible introduction or insightful companion piece to the works of these authors.

 

DISCUSSION:

Dr. Ghada Osman, Associate Professor and Arabic Program Director, Department of Linguistics and Asian/ Middle Eastern Languages Director, Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies San Diego State University.

 

PERFORMANCE/READING:

“Woman” by s.n from Voices of Resistance: Muslim Women on War, Faith and Sexuality by Sarah Husain (Editor)