Healing from trauma is the main theme of Zaina Erhaim’s very intimate debut feature, titled Our Feminine Wars. The creative documentary project is being produced by Brian Hill for London-based independent film and TV production outfit Century Films.
Born in Edlib and educated in Damascus, Erhaim pursued a master’s degree in International Journalism from City University, London. An award-winning journalist of over ten years standing, she has reported extensively on the Syrian civil war from within the country. In 2015, she directed a series of short docs titled Syria’s Rebellious Women made over the course of 18 months in rebel-held parts of Aleppo.
Our Feminine Wars is “a personal story” that Erhaim has been working on for over a decade. “For the last seven years, I’ve been trying to suppress my memories and my traumas, and I claimed that if I could do so, they would have just disappeared. But that didn’t happen. So two years ago I decided to face it all, once and for all,” explained the helmer during her presentation.
“[I decided] to go back to these memories and tell them in a story, in full, to be able to move on and live my life, as it is now. And, to do that, I [decided to] go back to the four women friends I found when we were all living on the frontline held by the rebels in Northern Syria. The film starts in their new homes as refugees around the globe – from Canada to Germany, from the UK to the US – [but it also looks back at] our previous lives in Aleppo and Edlib.”
“It will end [in a place] where all of us can meet together, when the logistics will allow that. We will just try to go through what we’ve lived and how we ‘survived’ – or not ‘survived’ yet – what we’ve lived in Syria.”
The director confirmed that production is currently under way. “I have most of the footage [ready], since I’ll use what I’ve shot back in Syria, so 70% of it is already secured. We are looking for co-producers, sales agents, broadcasters or any passionate individual who is happy to join our small team,” she concluded.
Budgeted at €500,000 with 20% secured, delivery is slated for February 2024. The Friedrich Ebert Foundation (an independent body associated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany) is listed as one of the project’s key partners.
