We Are She: Global Perspectives Doc
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We Are She is a documentary series that examines the role of government in women's lives across the globe. Filming began in the 2012 election cycle and continues into the present.
Through casual group discussions and individual profiles We Are She gives women across the political spectrum the opportunity to speak and debate for themselves the role of government, the issues that matter most, their own sense of responsibility in the process and how they view women in their own and other cultures.
"I love what you are doing especially once we got to the group discussions . . . I was fascinated and will be as you get to each country. It was about time we saw such a film. All the best." Al Maysles, 2013
So, what if anything changes from one election cycle to the next? Do changing circumstances change peoples perception about government and the way we see each other?
From the Director/Producer, Sacha Shawky:
Signing up for documentary work is signing up for the long haul. I see now that the seeds of We Are She were planted long ago.
I am the third of six children, four boys and two girls, of multicultural, ethnic and religious parents. My father immigrated in the 1960’s to America from Egypt and my mother, who was raised in Mississippi, has roots going back to colonial times. We grew up for the most part in Oakland County Michigan.
Dinners were lively, heavily opinionated and often hilarious. We often spoke of local, national and international news of the day. Mostly we loudly disagreed and tried to win each other over to our own point of view. This was sometimes successful and sometimes not but we learned to listen to each other and at the end of the meal no matter how heated or uncomfortable the conversation got we still respected and loved each other.
Through We Are She I have carried on those dinner conversations with women from all walks of life, all points on the political spectrum, diverse income levels, religious affiliations, sexual orientations, and personal lifestyle choices. Setting aside political allegiances, we examine the role participants think their respective governments play in their everyday lives.
•What are their expectations of their elected representatives?
•What do they feel are their responsibilities and rights as citizens?
•How do they see themselves in relation to women in other regions and nations?
•Is there a common thread that weaves their lives together?
Production History:
We started shooting the material in June 2012 in Paris, shortly after the French presidential election. We moved on to Cairo during the week of then President Morsi’s inauguration. In October, we shot in Detroit, then moved to Boston for Election Day, then traveled across the country to New Orleans, Tucson, Phoenix, and Pasadena. In 2017 we completed the second round of filming for the Paris and Detroit episodes and plan to revisit the other cities in 2018/2019.
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Series Summary:
We Are She will unfold as a series of half hour episodes intended for license to cable and streaming services. Each episode will take place in a different city and include interviews with women from 2012 and the present, revisiting the same issues and questions we spoke about in 2012. Will their thoughts and expectations remain the same or will local, national, and international events alter their thinking?
The episodes, however, are only one part of the We Are She experience. We Are She will be truly interactive, encompassing both the episodes and a website where women can reach out and connect with other women from across the globe as well as film and upload their own documentation of issues in their communities using any available technology.
WeAreShe.com will be a place where women can move beyond headlines to gain knowledge about other women’s lives, a place where they can move from awareness to action by sharing insight and solutions with each other.
" I truly believe in the power of women to reshape the world if they can come together . . . You have interesting subjects who are passionate and you are tackling big ideas, not an easy thing to do."
Chris Hegedus, 2016
Funding Goals:
Here's the part where we ask you to join us to take We Are She across the finish line.
Documentary production is a team effort and every member of that team plays a vital role in the ultimate success of the project. It also takes a considerable amount of financial resources.
Every donation, no matter the amount, helps.
Your generosity will go to location filming crew costs, editing, transcription, translation, website creation and web hosting, location travel, music acquisition, rights and legal fees, and more too numerous to mention here.
Thank you all for your time and consideration and I hope your dinner conversations inspire you too.
Sincerely,
Sacha Shawky
NobleHeart Productions Director/Producer
Through casual group discussions and individual profiles We Are She gives women across the political spectrum the opportunity to speak and debate for themselves the role of government, the issues that matter most, their own sense of responsibility in the process and how they view women in their own and other cultures.
"I love what you are doing especially once we got to the group discussions . . . I was fascinated and will be as you get to each country. It was about time we saw such a film. All the best." Al Maysles, 2013
So, what if anything changes from one election cycle to the next? Do changing circumstances change peoples perception about government and the way we see each other?
From the Director/Producer, Sacha Shawky:
Signing up for documentary work is signing up for the long haul. I see now that the seeds of We Are She were planted long ago.
I am the third of six children, four boys and two girls, of multicultural, ethnic and religious parents. My father immigrated in the 1960’s to America from Egypt and my mother, who was raised in Mississippi, has roots going back to colonial times. We grew up for the most part in Oakland County Michigan.
Dinners were lively, heavily opinionated and often hilarious. We often spoke of local, national and international news of the day. Mostly we loudly disagreed and tried to win each other over to our own point of view. This was sometimes successful and sometimes not but we learned to listen to each other and at the end of the meal no matter how heated or uncomfortable the conversation got we still respected and loved each other.
Through We Are She I have carried on those dinner conversations with women from all walks of life, all points on the political spectrum, diverse income levels, religious affiliations, sexual orientations, and personal lifestyle choices. Setting aside political allegiances, we examine the role participants think their respective governments play in their everyday lives.
•What are their expectations of their elected representatives?
•What do they feel are their responsibilities and rights as citizens?
•How do they see themselves in relation to women in other regions and nations?
•Is there a common thread that weaves their lives together?
Production History:
We started shooting the material in June 2012 in Paris, shortly after the French presidential election. We moved on to Cairo during the week of then President Morsi’s inauguration. In October, we shot in Detroit, then moved to Boston for Election Day, then traveled across the country to New Orleans, Tucson, Phoenix, and Pasadena. In 2017 we completed the second round of filming for the Paris and Detroit episodes and plan to revisit the other cities in 2018/2019.
a
Series Summary:
We Are She will unfold as a series of half hour episodes intended for license to cable and streaming services. Each episode will take place in a different city and include interviews with women from 2012 and the present, revisiting the same issues and questions we spoke about in 2012. Will their thoughts and expectations remain the same or will local, national, and international events alter their thinking?
The episodes, however, are only one part of the We Are She experience. We Are She will be truly interactive, encompassing both the episodes and a website where women can reach out and connect with other women from across the globe as well as film and upload their own documentation of issues in their communities using any available technology.
WeAreShe.com will be a place where women can move beyond headlines to gain knowledge about other women’s lives, a place where they can move from awareness to action by sharing insight and solutions with each other.
" I truly believe in the power of women to reshape the world if they can come together . . . You have interesting subjects who are passionate and you are tackling big ideas, not an easy thing to do."
Chris Hegedus, 2016
Funding Goals:
Here's the part where we ask you to join us to take We Are She across the finish line.
Documentary production is a team effort and every member of that team plays a vital role in the ultimate success of the project. It also takes a considerable amount of financial resources.
Every donation, no matter the amount, helps.
Your generosity will go to location filming crew costs, editing, transcription, translation, website creation and web hosting, location travel, music acquisition, rights and legal fees, and more too numerous to mention here.
Thank you all for your time and consideration and I hope your dinner conversations inspire you too.
Sincerely,
Sacha Shawky
NobleHeart Productions Director/Producer
Organizer
Sacha Shawky
Organizer
Boston, MA
