Big Ideas // Sunday, April 26
4:30 PM: Big Ideas Cocktail
Make it a big night out with an exclusive reception before the Big Ideas screening on April 26. Add a cocktail ticket to your Big Ideas screening and connect with friends, fellow doc-lovers and special guests while supporting Hot Docs. Ticket includes drinks, canapes and popcorn.
6:00 PM: Big Ideas Screening & Discussion
Join director Raha Shirazi for an exploration of women’s rights in Iran, from decades of resistance and activism to the recent rally cry of “Woman, Life, Freedom,” and how A War on Women spotlights well-known members of the community to reframe the global conversation around how these women are changing history.
About the Film
In 2022, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in detention after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for violating its law that makes it mandatory for women to cover their heads in public. Following her death, the rallying cry “Woman, Life, Freedom” became the defining slogan of an historic uprising. The demand for gender equality, the abolition of the compulsory hijab and fundamental human rights did not begin with Amini’s death; Iran’s feminist movement has a long and deep-rooted history. This timely film traces it from the 1960s to the present day through several widely respected Iranian feminist icons, including former Minister of Women’s Affairs Mahnaz Afkhami, internationally acclaimed Iranian actor Golshifteh Farahani, and author and activist Masih Alinejad. A War on Women reveals how Iran’s long fight for equality has often been answered with harsh repression, and yet it has nevertheless gathered force to become a movement that is not only challenging a regime but resonating far beyond the country’s borders. Aisha Jamal