The Women's Resource Center will highlight the international struggle of women against opression during its Women's Film Festival today.
The festival runs from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in Mesa Vista Hall, Room 1160, and features five films dealing with problems women deal with in both the United States and other countries.
Elizabeth Cahn, the center's program services coordinator, said the films' focus on issues that include the perspective of women of color, adding it is important to present these perspectives in a University setting.
"Part of our regular programming is to show films that are of interest to women and the University community," Cahn said. "Most of the time we show one film or two short films, but this time we'll show a group. We don't expect people to come watch all of them."
"The Way Home" will kick off the festival at 10 a.m. The film is about the dialogue of 63 women with very diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds discussing issues of oppression and assimilation.
She added that the film is popular and was last shown at African American Student Services.
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The next film, "A State of Danger," which starts at 11:30 a.m., gives voice to Palestinian and Israeli peace activists, most of them women.
"Performing the Border," showing at 12:10 p.m., is a documentary about the Mexican-United States border town of Ciudad Ju†rez where women assemble electronic and digital equipment in maquiladora factories. The film talks about labor, prostitution and sexual violence.
Next is "Made in Thailand," which begins at 1 p.m. She said the film looks at women factory workers attempting to organize a union. Cahn added that the film is about the global economy and its need for cheap labor, particularly the cheap labor of women.
She said that the last film, "Four Women of Egypt" beginning at 1:30 p.m., is the interaction between four Egyptian women who come from different ethnic, social, religious and political backgrounds.
"They talk very frankly with each other, but still maintain a friendship," Cahn said.
She said that the festival is free, open to the public. She added that she hopes people will find the time to come by, watch a video and learn something about a different part of the world and its relation to women.
For more information about the film festival or to find out about more events, contact the Women's Resource Center at 277-3716.
