Ashura

The Shia Islamic ceremony Ashura (Ashoura) commemorates the death of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who was killed as a martyr in the battle of Karbala in the late 7th century A.D. Younger generations perceive this sacrificial ceremony marked with blood and martyrdom as a rare opportunity to gather and even for seduction. The camera lens captures this game of seduction, revealing the adopted sexual roles and expectations which perceive women (merely) as objects in the eyes of men/predators. This documentary video illuminates how old traditions assume new roles and the resistance against the deeprooted family law which in many aspects still determines the lives of younger generations through institutions such as arranged marriages and patrilineal inheritance.

Organized by: City of Women
In collaboration with: Alkatraz Gallery
With the support of: Roberto Cimetta Fund