I Am the Revolution

The three Middle Eastern women profiled in filmmaker Benedetta Argentieri's documentary are doing their part to bring their countries into the 21st century. Selay Ghaffar, spokesperson for Hambastagi, the Solidarity Party of Afghanistan, is the first woman to hold the position. Once banned by the Afghanistan government, her group is dedicated to advancing secularism, women's rights, and national self-determination free from NATO interference. Ghaffar’s father was a freedom fighter, and she grew up as a refugee in Iran and Pakistan. Here, she travels discreetly, sometimes with her face covered, due to security concerns. In addition to attending a protest and a TV appearance in which she gets into a heated argument with Hizb-e-Islami member Abdul Jabbar Sholgari, Ghaffar meets with a variety of women, mostly in small towns. Some of them were married as young as 12, have as many as a dozen children, and haven't been allowed to obtain an education. She also helps a victim of domestic abuse find sanctuary at a women's shelter. Rojda Felat, a Kurdish commander in the Syria Democratic Forces, joined the Women's Protection Unit in 2012, where she led 60,000 SDF members against ISIS. Felat and her troops aim to liberate Rojava (northeastern Syria). Yanar Mohammed is the co-founder and president of the Organization for Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), which offers 10 shelters for women fleeing violent situations—including honor killings, human trafficking, and marital rape. Because Argentieri spends so much time with Ghaffar, the other women receive short shrift in comparison, but this is still a worthy look at their efforts to improve the lives of their fellow citizens. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)