Begunke – Heroines of Our Time

SCREENING OF SHORT FILMS WITH DISCUSSION
What does it mean to live in peace? Is peace merely the absence of war – or does it also mean the possibility to live without fear, to speak about human rights without fear, to be who you are, and to find a sense of security and a new home somewhere?
On the International Day of Peace, we will present three short films at Pritličje that, through personal stories, talk about the reasons why three women from different parts of the world – Southwest Asia, Central Africa, and Eastern Europe – have sought refuge in Slovenia.
Olena, Shiva, and Rose come from different backgrounds, but each was forced to leave her home in her country due to life-threatening danger. Olena's story is connected to the war in Ukraine and the experience of a mother fearing for her children's lives. Shiva's speaks of the importance of fighting for human rights and freedom, for which she was threatened with death in Iran. Rose's story is about violence against women, forced marriages, LGBT identity and discrimination, and the search for a place where it is possible to live without fear of violence, rejection, or persecution.
Their stories depict three different faces of the question of peace. Peace as security from war. Peace as freedom and dignity. And peace as the possibility to live who you are without fear.
Each of the three 15-minute films gives the protagonists a space to tell their story in their own words.