2019 Social Justice Film Festival - Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you're a girl)/Men on Hold

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you're a girl)

Learning to Skateboard tells the story of young Afghan girls learning to read, write - and skateboard - in Kabul. After years of conflict, and with Afghanistan still dubbed "one of the worst places to be born a girl," an organisation called "Skateistan" recruits kids from poor neighbourhoods and teaches them skills so they can return to public school and get a start in life.

For girls, the chance to skateboard presents a unique experience: to compete, to play, to learn their strength, and to gain courage. Follow a class of girls at Skateistan growing through the joy of skating and the warmth of the women who teach them.

(Carol Dysinger, 40 min, USA)

Men on Hold

Men on Hold explores the psychological and societal effects of war and displacement on refugee men from Syria, shedding light on issues that have so far gone neglected. These men are finding themselves under extreme stress as they have forego traditional gender roles as “providers” and “protectors” of their families, leaving them with feelings of helplessness and disempowerment as they find themselves forcibly unproductive, having nothing to do all day long.

(Carol Mansour, 45 min, Lebanon)

Screens with:

Against My World (Lim Fang Yin, 14 min, Taiwan)

A teenager lives in his secret base, painting nude bodies to get away from reality, until he decides that he will open up to others.