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The Film Festival Women’s Worlds – Human Rights of Women in the Mirror of Film.
Since 2001, the nonprofit organization TERRE DES FEMMES annually carries out the film festival Women’s Worlds in November, to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Having been founded in Tuebingen, it will take place there for the last time in 2019, as from 2020 on it will be located in Berlin, where the National Offices of TERRE DES FEMMES are situated.
Each year, over 30 current and award winning feature and documentary films from more than 20 countries focus on Women’s Rights in different cultures, opening up new perspectives on the related topics to the approximately 4.000 audience members.
Film-makers and activists engage in moving conversations about the films with the audience in cinemas and schools and have lively exchanges among themselves and with the experts of TERRE DES FEMMES about the prospects of embedding the topic of „Human Rights for Women“ more deeply in international film-making. In contrast to other women’s film festivals that exclusively screen films made by women, as a festival centered on Human Rights for Women, Women’s Worlds offers a canvas for films made by women and men.
The festival is always accompanied by special activities – captivating conversation panels, appealing exhibitions, thrilling concerts or enthralling workshops – which complement and deepen the understanding of the issues raised by the films.
Our fascinating festival guests also leave a lasting impression each year, many of who’s work for Human and Women’s Rights receives worldwide attention:
Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee from Liberia, activist against violence against women in African war zones; Meaza Ashenafi, Nobel Peace Prize nominated attorney, Women’s Rights activist, and currently President of the Supreme Court of Ethiopia; Sima Samar, former Vice President, Minister of Women’s Affairs of Afghanistan, and Chairperson of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission; Urmila Chaudhari, former enslaved household worker from Nepal; the Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf, one of “The World’s 40 Best Directors” according to the Guardian, and award winner in Cannes, Venice, Locarno, a.o., her sister Hana Makhmalbaf, who also won awards at Berlinale, San Sebastian or Venice and father Mohsen Makhmalbaf, founder of the New Iranian Cinema; Golden Bear winner Jasmila Zbanic from Bosnia; the Cannes award winner and current President of the Berlin Academy of Arts, Jeanine Meerapfel or Oscar-winner from Spain Fernando Trueba; as well as Bosnian lead actress for Berlinale-winner „Grbaviza“ Luna Zimic Mijovic, Spanish actress and multiple Goya award winner Lola Dueñas or German Berlinale-winner Nina Hoss – among many others.
