Starting October 31, the 4th War and Women Film Festival will take place at Indie Space near Hongdae Station in Seoul. This year's theme is 'Technologies for Living Together on a Damaged Planet.'
The opening film on October 31 is 'Walking with a Soul in Hand,' a documentary by director Sepideh Parsi. The film features a conversation between Parsi and Palestinian photographer Fatma Hasouna via video call. Hasouna was killed in an Israeli missile strike in Gaza in April 2025.
Seven domestic and international short and feature films will be screened, including 'Now, Nyein,' which focuses on the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar, and the narrative film 'Sirat.' 'Women in the Battlefield,' directed by Raha Shirazi, traces Iranian women's resistance from the protests against mandatory hijab in 1979 to the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement in 2022. All programs are free of charge.
The festival's signature program, 'Theater Classroom,' will examine the past and present of the Iranian women's movement. Researcher Koo Gi-yeon from Seoul National University's Asia Research Institute will participate. A talk featuring activists, cultural anthropologists, literary critics, and art critics is also planned, along with a roundtable discussion on the impact of technology on 'planetary life.'
Launched in 2023, the festival has primarily focused on the situations in Gaza, Okinawa, and South Korea. This year, it expands its lens to include Myanmar and Iran, as well as virtual spaces. Programmers Cho Hye-young and Son Hee-jung emphasized the need to rethink how we can continue to live together amid the intertwining crises of war and ecological disaster.
The festival is organized by the Comparative Culture Research Institute at Kyung Hee University, with Project 38 and Time and Space as co-hosts.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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