Take One Action: Facing the Dragon

As American forces and aid leave Afghanistan, Afghan-American filmmaker Sedika Mojadidi crafts an intimate portrait of two awe-inspiring women: Nilofar, a member of parliament, and Shakila, a television journalist.

With recent gains for women and the country’s fragile democracy hanging in the balance, Nilofar and Shakila face increasing threats to their own lives and their families’ safety – jeopardising their ability to change their country from within.

Facing the Dragon sheds a stark light on the ongoing struggles of a democracy shattered by decades of international and internal conflict. It also powerfully encapsulates, in the stories of its two protagonists, much of the energy women the world over are pouring into addressing power imbalance – not only in public representation but also in calling democratic institutions to account, increasing access to education and carving more space for nonviolent dialogue in public discourse.

(Sedika Mojadidi | USA / Afghanistan / Australia / Germany 2018 | 80 min | Dari with English subtitles)

BEYOND THE SCREEN
Join us after the film to explore the space being carved for women’s voices, especially in the political and media arenas, and how life continues in these fragile contexts. We will be joined by Dr Marianna Leite (Global Lead, Gender and Inequality, Christian Aid) and Alys Mumford (Communications and Engagement Manager, Engender).

––

Presented in association with Christian Aid & Engender.

This screening will have full English subtitles and Closed Captions for the D/deaf and hard of hearing throughout. BSL interpretation is available on request.

Take One Action are introducing a sliding scale ticket policy: audiences choose what to pay based on personal circumstances, on a scale from £0 to £8. All we ask is that you be honest with yourself and your financial situation. This policy brings flexibility to those who need it most and makes our festival more accessible for everyone. To find out what you should pay, please see our Sliding Scale Guide.