Description of the film: Yasmeen is eager to learn. Inside the school, her hopes and ambitions expand, even as outside, opportunity begins to shrink. On this particular day, these two worlds collide. Her professor gets pulled out of the classroom by an unknown military force, and briefly returns to give them their homework, each to give a presentation on a unique element from the periodic table. Once arriving home, Yasmeen realizes she’s lost her element. A day full of adventures and obstacles unfold as she urgently tries to track down her Professor’s house. Yasmeen is helped and sometimes hindered by those she encounters – a parable for what women’s education can be in an unstable place.
This is the second fiction feature film by critically acclaimed Pakistani-American director Amman Abbasi, whose previous film Dayveon played at Sundance Film Festival and Berlinale, and received two Spirit Award nominations. Shot in the remote Hunza region of northern Pakistan with a local, nimble crew, this film captures an authentic day-in-the-life story using non-actors from the town of Gulmit with the singular goal to capture a timeless portrait of a young Muslim girl in pursuit of an education.
Runtime: 76 minutes
World Cinema Day brings middle and high school students and teachers to Madison for a special free screening of a high-quality, international film with an introduction before the film and a Q&A/discussion after the film. Advance registration is required for this event.
This is an annual event sponsored by WIRC, and in conjunction with the Wisconsin Film Festival.
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