Film deals with the issue of forced marriage.
AB Wire
NEW YORK: Domestic Harmony Foundation (DHF), a not-for-profit organization in Long Island, New York, working to empower victims of domestic violence throughsupport services, will screen the film Dukhtar, directed by Afia Nathaniel, to commemorate  International Women’s Day, on March 8.
The group does advocacy, counseling, legal consultations, support groups, crisis intervention, financial assistance and leadership development initiatives, to help the growing South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Muslim community in Long Island. Although DHF works mainly with Muslim women who are victims of domestic violence, these services are available to individuals irrespective of creed, culture, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, according to a release.
The screening of Dukhtar will be at Jeanne Rimsky Theater, 232 Main Street, Port Washington, NY 11050, at 5: 30 p.m., followed by a Q&A session with Nathaniel.
Dukhtar is based on a true story, and has won ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Feature’ awards at 2014 South Asian International Film Festival. This film sheds light and raises awareness about forced marriage.
This is what the Hollywood Reporter have to say about the film: “Faced with the prospect of marrying her 10-year-old daughter to a man six times her age, a young mother makes the near-suicidal decision to go on the run across the towering mountains of Pakistan. The story has all the makings of a great against-all-odds adventure tale, abetted by spectacular location shooting and an outcome that is never a foregone conclusion. Dukhtar (Daughter) may not be 127 Hours, but Afia Nathaniel’s feature directing debut generates enough tension to fuel a harrowing real-life story while adding another unforgettable heroine to cinema from the region with Samiya Mumtaz’s measured portrayal of a Muslim woman taking charge of her life.â€