Comet Calendar

Shot/Reverse Shot is a semesterly film series curated by Film Studies graduate students in the School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology. This semester's films are curated by Mazyar Mahan, a second-year Ph.D. student in Visual and Performing Arts, on the theme: Women's RightsHuman Rights. 

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to overrule the landmark decision Roe v. Wade, claiming it was “egregiously wrong from the start,” and “abortion couldn’t be constitutionally protected.” However, the debate on abortion rights did not start at the Supreme Court and will not end with this decision. We hope the film screenings and accompanying panel discussions will open up a space for a critical debate on considering women’s rights to access safe and legal abortion as a fundamental human right.

The latest film from celebrated director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Lingui, The Sacred Bonds (2022), is an honest, poignant, and stunning vision of female solidarity. On the outskirts of the capital of Chad, determined single mother Amina (Achouackh Abakar Souleymane) works tirelessly to provide for herself and her 15-year-old daughter Maria (Rihane Khalil Alio). When Amina discovers Maria is pregnant and does not want a child, the two women begin to seek out an abortion, condemned by both religion and law. Fighting to procure this simple yet inaccessible procedure, they must navigate a patriarchal network of doctors, relatives, and neighbors. In the process, mother and daughter forge a connection stronger than any they’ve ever known. 

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Jessi Hanson-Defusco, Assistant Professor of Global Health Policy, and Dr. Maurine Ogbaa, Assistant Professor of Literature, moderated by Arya Rani, Ph.D. Student in Visual and Performing Arts. 

Sciences Building (SCI), SCI 2.230
800 W. Campbell Road, Richardson, Texas 75080-3021

Free

Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology

#utdfilm

Mazyar Mahan
Email

UTD strives to create inclusive and accessible events in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you require an accommodation to fully participate in this event, please contact the event coordinator (listed above) at least 10 business days prior to the event. If you have any additional questions, please email ADACoordinator@utdallas.edu and the AccessAbility Resource Center at accessability@utdallas.edu.

  • Mazyar Mahan
  • Shivani Gandhi
  • Kyra An

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