DUHOK, Kurdistan Region – As women are speaking out globally against gender-based violence (GBV), the #MeToo movement continues and US President Donald Trump faces continued sexual misconduct allegations, a Finish documentary shows how men aren't always the problem, but in many cases, the solution when it comes to solving violence against women.
The documentary ‘Boys Who Like Girls’ that was screened on Sunday highlights the Duhok International Film Festival's (DIFF) theme of "The Female Lens.” It was both directed and produced by women.
Although shown in Asia and Europe nearly a dozen times, this was the first time the film was screened in the MENA region.
Boys Who Like Girls documents possibly the only male-run organization fighting for gender equality and against GBV in India. It was born out of the heinous gang rape of a New Delhi woman on a bus in 2012 who later succumbed from her injuries.
"I knew of the gender equality issue and didn't know if there would be anything new that I wanted to contribute but then I realized the totally different aspect of taking on a men's point of view and not showing them as antagonists and thought that is what I am interested in because we have to solve these things together. That was the aim of the whole process," Finish film producer Liisa Karpo said in a Q&A session.
Karpo explained that she and director Inka Achte faced several obstacles trying to persuade investors to help fund the film beginning in 2014 as people weren't interested in investing in a situation which occurred in India, despite it bringing to light the issue of rape and violence against women.
She explained that throughout the trials of finally finding funding, US President Trump was elected: "And things started like how he was talking about women and it just spread around the world."
She said GBV in Europe and Russia and how they were handled effectively decriminalized domestic violence.
"We realized this is relevant everywhere, it's not just about India. And then a year ago when we were editing the film, the #MeToo movement came and we realized that when the film is finished, it would be extremely timely,” said Karpo.
Boys Who Like Girls follows the stories of two people — the first is founder of the organization Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA), Harish who struggles to find funding to fight gender-based discrimination and violence in India.
The film also documented a coming-of-age of Ved, a troubled youth from a violent household struggling to pass his high school exams who was part of the training Harish provided to teenage boys between the ages of 13-17 in the slums of Mumbai.
In one scene, a boy was asked to lie on the floor and the group of teen boys drew a chalk outline of him. They were then asked to draw all of the body parts of a woman on the chalk outline of the body and write the names of each body part they knew, whether it was medical or slang.
The MAVA sociologist working with the boys pointed out that there was one name written for each body part with the exception of the female genitalia, where several crude names were written.
"There is no sexual education in India whatsoever," said Karpo.
"I think, as surprising as it is, that it is a good thing we are talking about it. This isn't a new phenomenon, gender based violence, it's been going on for thousands of years," she added.
Karpo believes it is "extremely distressing" that Trump is making these issues "seem okay."
"But then again what is happening on the other side is that people are reacting and saying, ‘No, it's not okay,’ she added.
"So now that we are talking about it and are acknowledging that it is an issue, it's a problem, I hope it will result in fixing this problem," she said.
Karpo has owned a production company in Finland since 2009 and focuses on producing documentaries in all forms, features, shorts, interactive, web-based and short fiction films, but this is the first documentary she's produced on the subject of GBV.
In producing Boys Who Like Girls, Karpo hopes to bring awareness to MAVA so that the organization can continue to help educate young boys to create a new generation of men who respect women.
"I'm extremely interested in topics that make us learn more about the world or other people to make us better understand ourselves," she explained.
Karpo said female directors and producers receive less than 40 percent for funding films than their male counterparts, but there is an active movement in Finland to balance funding requirements and change it to a 50-50 percent ratio.
This was her first visit to Kurdistan and she hopes to come again when she has more time.
"Kurdistan is absolutely lovely. The people are so friendly, but I knew to expect that. But it's true everyone is so friendly and welcoming and I feel extremely comfortable and totally safe being here."
The DIFF runs through Saturday. Rudaw is a media partner.
The documentary ‘Boys Who Like Girls’ that was screened on Sunday highlights the Duhok International Film Festival's (DIFF) theme of "The Female Lens.” It was both directed and produced by women.
Although shown in Asia and Europe nearly a dozen times, this was the first time the film was screened in the MENA region.
Boys Who Like Girls documents possibly the only male-run organization fighting for gender equality and against GBV in India. It was born out of the heinous gang rape of a New Delhi woman on a bus in 2012 who later succumbed from her injuries.
"I knew of the gender equality issue and didn't know if there would be anything new that I wanted to contribute but then I realized the totally different aspect of taking on a men's point of view and not showing them as antagonists and thought that is what I am interested in because we have to solve these things together. That was the aim of the whole process," Finish film producer Liisa Karpo said in a Q&A session.
Karpo explained that she and director Inka Achte faced several obstacles trying to persuade investors to help fund the film beginning in 2014 as people weren't interested in investing in a situation which occurred in India, despite it bringing to light the issue of rape and violence against women.
She explained that throughout the trials of finally finding funding, US President Trump was elected: "And things started like how he was talking about women and it just spread around the world."
She said GBV in Europe and Russia and how they were handled effectively decriminalized domestic violence.
"We realized this is relevant everywhere, it's not just about India. And then a year ago when we were editing the film, the #MeToo movement came and we realized that when the film is finished, it would be extremely timely,” said Karpo.
Boys Who Like Girls follows the stories of two people — the first is founder of the organization Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA), Harish who struggles to find funding to fight gender-based discrimination and violence in India.
The film also documented a coming-of-age of Ved, a troubled youth from a violent household struggling to pass his high school exams who was part of the training Harish provided to teenage boys between the ages of 13-17 in the slums of Mumbai.
In one scene, a boy was asked to lie on the floor and the group of teen boys drew a chalk outline of him. They were then asked to draw all of the body parts of a woman on the chalk outline of the body and write the names of each body part they knew, whether it was medical or slang.
The MAVA sociologist working with the boys pointed out that there was one name written for each body part with the exception of the female genitalia, where several crude names were written.
"There is no sexual education in India whatsoever," said Karpo.
"I think, as surprising as it is, that it is a good thing we are talking about it. This isn't a new phenomenon, gender based violence, it's been going on for thousands of years," she added.
Karpo believes it is "extremely distressing" that Trump is making these issues "seem okay."
"But then again what is happening on the other side is that people are reacting and saying, ‘No, it's not okay,’ she added.
"So now that we are talking about it and are acknowledging that it is an issue, it's a problem, I hope it will result in fixing this problem," she said.
Karpo has owned a production company in Finland since 2009 and focuses on producing documentaries in all forms, features, shorts, interactive, web-based and short fiction films, but this is the first documentary she's produced on the subject of GBV.
In producing Boys Who Like Girls, Karpo hopes to bring awareness to MAVA so that the organization can continue to help educate young boys to create a new generation of men who respect women.
"I'm extremely interested in topics that make us learn more about the world or other people to make us better understand ourselves," she explained.
Karpo said female directors and producers receive less than 40 percent for funding films than their male counterparts, but there is an active movement in Finland to balance funding requirements and change it to a 50-50 percent ratio.
This was her first visit to Kurdistan and she hopes to come again when she has more time.
"Kurdistan is absolutely lovely. The people are so friendly, but I knew to expect that. But it's true everyone is so friendly and welcoming and I feel extremely comfortable and totally safe being here."
The DIFF runs through Saturday. Rudaw is a media partner.
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