TAKE ONE ACTION!
PIECE OF THE ACTION
As the politically minded fi lm fest returns this autumn with a focus on women’s empowerment, Arusa Qureshi speaks to executive director Tamara Van Strijthem as well as Naila Ayesh, the main protagonist of closing fi lm Naila and the Uprising 26 THE LIST 1 Sep–31 Oct 2018
F ilms that disrupt commonly held narratives have a power that extends beyond their artistic and creative means. Since 2008, Take One Action! Film Festival has been dedicated to this idea of disruption, exploring themes of global change through a programme of i lms dealing with topics ranging from climate change to social movements across i ve continents.
‘Our mission statement was to make world- class i lms about issues of global concern more widely enjoyed and discussed by diverse communities in the UK,’ says executive director Tamara Van Strijthem, ‘to inspire and empower people to take their own creative steps to address current global challenges. Showcasing the best international cinema that explores and responds to the crucial issues of our time; linking the local and the global; breaking down the barriers that separate us; inspiring and empowering audiences . . . this is still very much at the core of our ambitions.’
The arrival of the 11th edition of the festival this autumn brings with it 45 events, with a key emphasis on women’s empowerment. Over 60% of features screened are directed or co-directed by women and this year’s Sisters strand is all about presenting inspiring and unique insights into the stories of female trailblazers. ‘The i lms in our Sisters strand rel ect a wide range of experiences, hopes and struggles; from the Palestinian women whose contribution to non-violent resistance has so often been overlooked [Naila and the Uprising] to the South African grandmothers embarking on a dei ant struggle for social justice in their poverty-stricken mining town [Strike a Rock]; from the Swedish hip hop artist challenging homophobia, sexism and racism [Silvana] to the
story of the i rst Muslim Somali refugee woman to be elected to the US House of Representatives [Time for Ilhan]. These are rousing, complex portraits of female trailblazers unapologetically pushing for radical change.’ Naila and the Uprising, which closes the festival, centres on the life of activist Naila Ayesh, providing a snapshot of the role of women in the First Intifada, following the course of Palestinian resistance from the beginning of the occupation to the present day. ‘The documentary covers the First Intifada which happened in 1987 and which all Palestinians were a part of,’ Ayesh explains over a Skype call from her home in Ramallah. ‘It was a peaceful uprising against the occupation and, though this is my story, thousands of families have the same story.’