A documentarian focusing on “women.”

Long has passed. For approximately twenty years, my writings and films have reflected the social life of women. I endeavor so that women in my works do not take a marginal or absent role. Thus, years ago, in my Women’s Season Journal articles, I tried to read Kalila and Demna through gender and women studies, trace women in Saadi Shirazi’s collected works, and reintroduce Rabia Balkhi or Roshanak No’doost in research papers.
Perhaps because of this, I made “An Angel over My Right Shoulder” years later. I accepted the perils of making “Dawn that Smelled of Lemons.” Despite all the historical and archival gaps, I toiled to work on Constitutionalism by spending six scattered years of my life on the documentary feature “Hidden Side of the Moon.” Because I thought we are in dire need of new readings and rewritings of history these days. *
“Waterfolks” is a poetic and minimalistic documentary depicting the everyday efforts of two fisherwomen in Hengam Island. Next year, after making this film, the acquaintance of dear Leila and dear Sedigheh became possible through association. After going through the research process, scriptwriting started, and after a while, with the assistance of some cherished friends, I made the documentary feature “Woodgirls: A Duet for a Dream.” The Woodgirls is part of my long experience with the life of women around me, which shares an underlying bond with my other works.
The documentary feature “Woodgirls: A Duet for a Dream” entails the life and struggles of Leila Avakh and Sedigheh Momennia, who are the first women carpenters in Iran.
The main storyline in the film concerns their agency and attempts at pursuing their dreams. Women who want to change the ancient interpretation of career and find a place for themselves and their work in this dominant male culture. They must fight myriad obstacles during their journey as if they have to fight against the world.
I wish that through making this film, a reflection on the life of carpenter girls and the struggles of Leila Avakh and Sedigheh Momennia, we can demonstrate that each person has their own interests and abilities. Therefore, it’s better to refrain from sexist sentiments to make a more equal and better world. “Woodgirls” and “Waterfolks” alongside another forthcoming film – hoping it attainable and I alive – will be a trilogy and an attempt at creating room for new debates about careers and gender through cinema.
I hope that social and historical concepts might change through my works, and my audience becomes a different person after watching my films. A friend once said: “The documentarian is an angel creating the world.” I’m not quite sure about being an angel, but I know committed documentarians try their best, and their job is to create a fairer world. A world that the documentarians will, of course, not share….!

Azadeh Bizargiti