HONOR DIARIES HAS ITS WORLD PREMIERE TO A FULL HOUSE

Paula Kweskin’s “Honor Diaries” had its world premiere as part of the Docufest documentary film competition at the 49th Chicago International Film Festival. The screening was followed by a panel discussion featuring the Producer, one of the activists in the film and a Police detective who has worked on honor killings. On International Women’s Day March 2014, Honor Diaries will be shown all over North America. www.honordiaries.com

Honor Diaries features nine courageous women’s rights advocates with connections to Muslim-majority societies. These women, who have witnessed firsthand the hardships women endure, are profiled in their efforts to affect change, both in their communities and beyond.

The film gives a platform to exclusively female voices and seeks to expose the paralyzing political correctness that prevents many from identifying, understanding and addressing this international human rights disaster. Freedom of movement, the right to education, forced marriage, and female genital mutilation are some of the systematic abuses explored in depth.

Spurred by the Arab Spring, women who were once silent are starting to speak out about gender inequality and are bringing visibility to a long history of oppression. This project draws together leading women’s rights activists and provides a platform where their voices can be heard and serve as inspiration to motivate others to speak out.

More than a movie, Honor Diaries is a movement meant to inspire viewers to learn more about issues facing women in Muslim-majority societies, and to act for change.

This is what the Los Angeles Times had to say  “Make no mistake: The work of the nine activists featured in this upsetting documentary is extremely important as they fight for women’s rights in Muslim communities and countries, where honor killings and female genital mutilation and forced marriages are commonplace.”

The Chicago Examiner writes:

“Honor Diaries” is an unsettling but hopeful documentary exploring the issues of gender inequality and oppression towards females amongst the Muslim culture. The film sheds light on such practices as arranged marriages and female genital mutilation(FGM). While savage and archaic in nature, these practices are still employed today, and in some cases are making their way to the Western hemisphere.

http://www.examiner.com/article/raheel-raza-talks-honor-diaries-gender-inequality-during-chicago-film-fest