Gang rape, gender violence film for first screening in Dar

Pangani. A new film that depicts gang rape and other forms of gender violence against women and girls will be screened for the first time in Dar es Salaam next month.

The film moved Pangani residents almost to tears at the first show in July. Dr Vera Pieroth, director of Uzikwasa, which produced the film,  said it would be screened for the first time in Dar es Salaam on October 2 at Mlimani City. She said ‘Aisha’ was directed by  a renowned film director from Zanzibar, Chande Omar, and produced in collaboration with Kijiweni Production of Dar es Salaam. The film would be screened for the whole week between October 2 and October 8, this year.

Aisha is Uzikwasa’s third film in a series of feature films about common forms of violence against women and girls. The film is part of a larger multimedia communication campaign “Banja Bas!” (Speak out!) in Pangani, Tanga. Like in Uzikwasa’s previous two films — Fimbo ya Baba (Father’s Stick) and Chukua Pipi (Take a Sweet) — many of the actors in Aisha are village artists. Dr Pieroth said the film was based on true life stories and through community research.  “In this way Uzikwasa ensures the high social relevance of  its films by maintaining continuous community dialogue on key social  issues to make people see, feel and take action for change and transformation,” she pointed out.

The film is funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation, Dar es Salaam and A. Schindler Foundation. The film story revolves around Aisha, a young and ambitious businesswoman living in the city, who returns to her home village to attend her younger sister’s wedding.

“As she reconnects with her past, meeting family and friends, something unexpected happens that has disastrous consequences for her life. Everyone else would rather turn a blind eye, but Aisha decides to fight a tough battle for justice,” she narrated.

Dr Pieroth said Aisha was about stigma, shame and victim blame and how this prevented women from speaking out. “It is also about authorities and leaders’ reluctance to take action against violations of women’s rights,” she explained. She added that the film was made to break the silence around evils that happened every day both in community and in many others around the world.

“This film is dedicated to all women, who have gone through the same extraordinary sufferings as Aisha,” she said.

Pangani District Commissioner Regina Chonjo, has called on women and Pangani residents not to be silent spectators of violations against women and girls’ rights.

Speaking at the launch of the feature film, Chonjo asked Pangani women and residents to be courageous and take action against such violations, which were tainting the image of the district.

“You must show courage just as Aisha the main character in the film does. Aisha, against odds, decided to fight a tough battle for justice after being raped in a gang rape commonly known as Mtungo,” the DC emphasised. She pointed out that the film showed there were many such incidents and also how parents were being irresponsible and becoming the source of violations of women and girls’ rights through such extreme instances as gang rape.

She added that there were several incidents that happened in the district, about which the residents must speak out and take action against them. She mentioned such incidents as early marriages and child labour.