Women Helping Women: All Female Film Crew Tells Story Of Muslim Struggle In the short film "Unveiled" by Shumaya Bang.
As NY1 kicks off it's women's history month celebration with a look at how women are helping women, an all female cast and crew is filming a story about empowering Muslim women that is sure to spark controversy in some circles. NY1's Cheryl Wills filed the following report.
Shumaya Hassan is directing a film that she hopes will empower Muslim women to stand up for their rights.
The film is called "Unveiled" and Hassan has enlisted an all female cast and crew to tell her story.
"They say that men are the only ones that can carry those big handheld cameras and some days we had to do lights, some days we had to do the boom and we brought that together," Hassan said. "We showed that we have the power, we have the physical, spiritual and mental strength."
Shumaya Hassan is directing a film that she hopes will empower Muslim women to stand up for their rights.
The film is called "Unveiled" and Hassan has enlisted an all female cast and crew to tell her story.
"They say that men are the only ones that can carry those big handheld cameras and some days we had to do lights, some days we had to do the boom and we brought that together," Hassan said. "We showed that we have the power, we have the physical, spiritual and mental strength."
The Long Island University Student, who is producing the film for her master's degree thesis project, says the film may be controversial because it examines the way a Muslim mother and her two daughters fight against arranged marriages and polygamy in their Islamic culture.
"I'm really scared, I have to be honest," Hassan said. "I'm really nervous but I put my faith in the Lord and he will guide me to do the right path and this is my calling and I will do what I have to to make my message heard."
"Women bring along the femininity side, a little bit of the person side, we show more of the human struggle," said "Unveiled" Script Supervisor Emeline Rodelas M. Hassan, who was born in Bangladesh, says she chose a mostly female cast and crew because she wanted it to have a woman's touch.
"We wanna support each other and I think the idea of all of us coming together to create this support not only off-camera but in camera, too," said "Unveiled" Director of Photography Kaitlyn Barlow.
"Women have a lot of challenges they face day to day. Whether it's in America or any other country, so I can empathize with what they go through," said "Unveiled" actor Nirmala Delancy.
Hassan has also met with Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office to combat domestic violence and says she hopes her all-woman production will have a lasting impact and create further dialogue in the community.
- Cheryl Wills
http://www.ny1.com/content/special_reports/115603/women-helping-women--all-female-film-crew-tells-story-of-muslim-struggle/
