The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University and the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University cordially invite you to the Boston premiere of two new documentaries by the celebrated Iranian director Rakhshan Bani Etemad.

The screening will be followed by a Q & A with Dr. Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, former member of Iran’s Parliament (2000 – 2004) and visiting scholar at the University of Massachusetts at Boston (Please note, this is an update to the original announcement)

We are Half of Iran's Population

Iran 2009, video, 47 min.

Filmed during the 2009 presidential campaigns in Iran, this documentary follows the Women Rights Activists of Iran, whose views range from religious to secular, as they pose questions to the presidential candidates. It also includes the reactions of three of the presidential candidates after watching the film. This film provides an extraordinarily intimate glimpse into the current situation in Iran.

Angels in the House of the Sun

Iran 2009, video, 53 min.

A documentary about a women's shelter in one of Tehran's poorest neighborhoods, where women gather a few hours a day for respite from daily abuse and problems of poverty and drugs.

For directions click here. In the search field, type 'Fong Auditorium'