INTERVIEW WITH Dawn Gifford Engle
How many years have you been making movies?
10 years.
Why did you start making movies?
For the past 26 years, we have been working extremely closely with leading Nobel Peace Prize winners through our educational charity, The PeaceJam Foundation. We have filmed everything, and we have collected one of the largest repositories of behind the scenes footage of these Nobels anywhere. Ten years ago, I decided to create a series of feature length documentary films, to capture the essence, spirit, and cutting edge work of these incredible change-makers. To date, I have completed 7 films: Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchu, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Betty Williams, Oscar Arias, The Dalai Lama, and Shirin Ebadi.
Tell us a little about your project. What will the audience be able to see in your film?
The audience will see the lives of several extraordinarily brave women, who are risking it all to fight for equal rights and human rights for the people of their beloved country.
Why did you do this project?
"Shirin Ebadi: Until We Are Free", is a film intended to create worldwide support for the brave young women who are leading the struggle in Iran today, and to honor the courageous women who laid the groundwork for the revolution in Iran today, sometimes giving up everything they had for the cause.
If you could go back, what would you change about this project? (1 thing only)
I wouldn't change a thing.
What are you happiest about this project?
I am really excited about the timing of the film's release, because this film can be of tremendous help to the young women who are leading the countrywide protests in Iran right now. Our goal is to encourage millions of people worldwide to watch the film, and are then to be motivated to stand in support of these brave women.
Make a wish to the movie gods. What do you ask?
Help with marketing and promotion of this film around the world.
If you have more projects underway, can you give us a bit of information?
My latest film is about the struggle for women's rights in Iran, and it will go live on streaming platforms around the world on December 13th, 2022. The film is incredibly timely and important, because it captures the 40 year build up to the explosion of female led protests happening across the country of Iran right now. The film had its World Premiere on September 5th, two weeks before the protests began, and the film has won 8 "Best Documentary" film festival awards since then, in film festivals from Sweden, Canada, Indonesia, Turkey, France, USA, India and Germany. This is the most important film that I have ever made.
FILM TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/475915307