Full Cover Girl - Summary She is strong, smart and smiling. Jinan al-Ubaidy, an elected member of the new Iraqi Parliament. She is also a devout Shia Muslim and fully covered in black. Her main priority: implementing Islamic law, which according to her opponents would turn back the clock on women’s rights. Her main weapon to achieve her objective: Democracy. In this compelling documentary several aspiring Iraqi women politicians are profiled during several years. Risking their lives daily, they differ dramatically in their views on democracy and women’s rights. By focusing on these women the film sheds light on the larger issue: if democracy can be used to protect some rights, like the right of everyone to speak freely, can it also be used to restrict other rights for certain groups? Should a democracy curbing some rights for women be encouraged? |
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She is strong, smart and smiling. Jinan Al-Ubaidy, an elected member of the new Iraqi Parliament. She is also a devout Shia Muslim and fully covered in black. Her main priority: implementing Islamic law, which according to her opponents would turn back the clock on women’s rights. Her main weapon to achieve this: Democracy. Abir Al-Sahlani opposes Jinan Al-Ubaidy. Abir returns to Iraq after years in exile to set up a secular political party. She hates the veil and everything it represents. Over four years, international award winning producer and filmmaker Folke Rydén depicts, on site in Baghdad, Abir and Jinan at the centre of a tragedy rarely talked about. Extreme political Islamism, which endorses female subordination, has become increasingly influential, both in politics and in everyday life. Kidnappings, murder, violence and harassment of women have risen to shocking levels. Something that could hardly have been the intended result of the new-found democracy. It has been five years since the invasion of Iraq. When no weapons of mass-destruction were found, women’s rights were quickly pushed to the top of the agenda. The United States made promises to strengthen the position of Iraqi women, supporting a mandate where one quarter of the seats in the Iraqi parliament should be held by women. In a candid interview, the former chief U.S. representative of Iraq, Ambassador Paul Bremer, admits mistakes made by the U.S. in the first years after the invasion. Full Cover Girl follows Abir and Jinan in their dramatic struggle to make their voices heard in the new democracy. They differ on everything from women’s rights to nation building. In the end, the outcome of their struggle will affect the lives of millions of Iraqi women. By focusing on Abir and Jinan, the film sheds light on the larger issue: if democracy can be used to protect some rights, like the right of everyone to speak freely, can it also be used to restrict other rights for certain groups? Should a democracy curbing some rights for women be encouraged? |
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