3 p.m. EDT Sunday, July 12, 2020
The Bleaching Syndrome (2018) dir. Eiman Mirghani
Free; suggested donation benefits Detroit Justice Center
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Eiman Mirghani, an Afro-Arab filmmaker living in Qatar, sets out to make a documentary about a Sudanese beautician who, like many other Sudanese women today, bleaches her skin as part of her “beauty routine”. After coming across challenges in making the film, particularly in which the woman becomes hesitant in speaking openly about the subject, Mirghani begins to look inwards regarding this increasing trend, turning the camera around on her relationship with her own “blackness”. She looks to find answers towards her lifelong feelings of unworthiness and underrepresentation in a world that is discreetly but deeply intolerant.
Follow the screening will be a virtual talkback with director Eiman Mirghani, joined by guest, Sudanese American spoken word artist, activist and community organizer Khadega Mohammed.
Qatar / Short Documentary / 20 minutes / Rated PG 13 / In Arabic and English with Arabic and English subtitles
Eiman Mirghani is a Sudanese-Egyptian filmmaker based in Doha, Qatar. Upon graduating with a BA in Film and Media Studies at the University of Nottingham, Mirghani has worked on numerous short films in the MENA region as an assistant director, writer and producer. Her second short film The Bleaching Syndrome is a short, personal documentary made under the mentorship of world renowned documentarian Rithy Panh. In 2020, Mirghani has founded a film production house and initiative called FilmMENA.
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