I Am the Revolution

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I Am the Revolution

A film by Benedetta Argentieri

A Portrait of Three Women in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq Leading the Fight for Gender Equality

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SYNOPSIS

I AM THE REVOLUTION is an empowering portrait of three determined women in the Middle East who are leading the fight for gender equality and freedom.

Politician Selay Ghaffar is one of the most wanted people in the world by the Taliban and yet she still travels through Afghanistan to educate other women about their rights. Rojda Felat is a commander of the Syrian Democratic Army, leading 60,000 troops to defeat ISIS, including freeing their hold on Raqqa and rescuing its people. And Yanar Mohammed, named by the BBC as one of 100 most influential women in the world in 2018, pushes for parliamentary reform in Iraq while running shelters for abused women.

Despite battling seemingly overwhelming obstacles, all three women display resilience, bravery and compassion. I AM THE REVOLUTION challenges the images of veiled, silent women in the Middle East and instead reveals the extraordinary strength of women rising up on the front lines to claim their voice and their rights.

PRESS

"One of the Best Documentaries of 2018. Argentieri challenges the world’s view of these women as timid and subservient to show how they’re creating real change from remote villages to city streets."

Metro

"In this scenario of war that seems to have no hope of change, instead we discover incredible lives, that never give up, people whose lives and goals are stronger than fear."

Vanity Fair

The triumph of ‘I Am the Revolution’ is Argentieri’s skill in bringing these distinct routes to feminism together in a way that respects them individually, while still highlighting their interconnectedness."

Shadowproof

"What revolution will be harder than the revolution of women? The women Argentieri follows are battling overwhelming obstacles, and yet the film feels uplifting, too - if women can’t do it, who can?"

The New Statesman

"Argentieri’s deft camera weaves together both the small everyday life of these remarkable women as well as their more dramatic strides towards gender equality."

Lynne Rogers Al Jadid

SCREENING HIGHLIGHTS AND AWARDS

DOC NYC, World Premiere

ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)

Benedetta Argentieri

Benedetta Argentieri is an independent journalist and director based in New York and I AM THE REVOLUTION is her second film. Since 2014 she has been covering the Iraqi and Syrian war, with several trips on the ground. Her work has appeared in several international publications, including Reuters, The Sunday Times, Quartz, and more. In 2018, she was selected to give a Ted Talk in Milan on “Women in War” and the making of her documentary I AM THE REVOLUTION (2018) by an all-female crew. In 2016, she co-directed Our War, a documentary about foreigners joining the Kurds in Syria to fight the Islamic State (ISIS), and the film was selected at the 73rd Venice Film Festival, in the out of competition section. In 2013, she co-produced Capulcu-Voices from Gezi, a documentary about the revolt that occurred in Gezi Park in Istanbul, Turkey, which won Amnesty International award. She has an MA in Journalism, with a concentration in politics, from Columbia University in New York. Before moving to the United States, Benedetta worked as a staff writer at Corriere della Sera, the Italian leading newspaper. She started her career at Mediaset, a television station in Italy. (4/19)

Subject Areas

Arab Global Feminism Human Rights Islamic Studies Middle East Military Peace and Conflict Resolution Politics War

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