Mediha

I recently had the honor of watching Mediha at a festival and it is one of the most impactful documentaries I have seen. Oswald manages to potray the humanity of Mediha, and brings light to a topic that is never discussed in mainstream media. This documentary proves the struggles many women particuarly living under ISIS rule must endure. This documentary respectfully brings light to such a difficult topic. I could not stop watching or looking at the screen, even with the distressing contents at hand because of how brillant Mediha is. I think this documentary should be shown to lawmakers and activists around the world as it shows the true reality of the daily life of women under Islamic rule. Highly recommend watching when you can.

Mediha is a stunningly vulnerable story of a girl who has experienced massive trauma reclaiming her voice and her life. The film brings much needed attention to the Yazidi genocide, the consequences of which are still ongoing. I adored how this film gave the camera to Mediha herself, empowering her to tell her own story while supporting her with great care and intention. Mediha is one of the bravest, most resilient women I have ever witnessed on screen and it was a privilege to watch her. Despite the immense heaviness, the film is also threaded through with hope and I'm excited to see what Mediha does next.

Mediha is a call to empathy and understanding. A story of horror and hope, of loss and resilience. It invites us to look beyond what we know, the power of Mediha, the young Yazidi girl whose childhood was stolen but found the strength to fight, survive and speak up."Mediha" (2023) struck me deeply. It is staggering how often we forget that behind every war or tragedy there are people with unique and complex stories just like her. Mediha, with her eyes full of courage, reminds us that every number in the statistics represents a broken life, a broken family, a stolen future. Her words are like an urgent call to recognize the humanity. "Mediha" invites us to be more empathetic and to recognize the strength and dignity of victims of atrocities.

Before seeing Mediha, i had some mixes feeling about the movie, especially regarding the overall method. Deciding to give the protagonist a camera is a peculiar choice. You have to trust the subject so much that she will become part of the movie, somehow a second director. Mediha successfully manages to tell her story in a personal way that has no equal, and paradoxically i now think that the method is the major innovative strenght of the movie, together with the heartbreaking, untold, kept-away-from-the-media story. Mediha is one of the most interesting documentaries of this year and i really hope it will find its audience around the world.

If a week ago my future-self told me I would have one of the most profound experiences of my life during the debut of the Indie Street Film Festival in Red Bank NJ, watching a foreign language subtitled film, I wouldn't have believed it. Director Hasan Oswald's documentary, Mediha, opened the festival in a way that we the viewers will never forget. Mediha is the story of a young Yazidi girl who at 10 years old was captured from her home in northern Iraq and sold into slavery. She was sold and resold as a slave to ISIS fighters multiple times, yet survived and found strength and determination to tell/share her story through her own lens. I had the honor of meeting the Director and receiving the warmest hug from Mediha at the end of the night. After enduring unimaginable horror, Mediha glows with kindness, energy and light that radiates from her heart into ours. This film is a must see, her story is a must share and the cause is a must support. A million Thank You's to @hasanohhh @medihaalhamad @medhiafilm @indiestfilmfest for touching our hearts. Mediha, you are an amazing, powerful woman and it is my prayer that this film provides you with every opportunity you need to heal and succeed. #liftingwomenup #medihaisaboss #filmsthatmatter. I'm.