SPECIAL SCREENING OF ‘WE WOMEN WARRIORS’
APRIL 19 AT BARNSDALL GALLERY THEATRE

A stirring and thought-provoking documentary about strong-willed Colombian women caught in the crossfire of a never-ending war, catch a special screening of We Women Warriors, which tells the story of brave women, wives, mothers, and community leaders who practice nonviolent resistance to defend their peoples’ survival, on Friday, April 19 at Barnsdall Gallery Theatre. Tickets can be purchased directly at www.wewomenwarriors.com and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Kankuamo Women's Collective, which is featured in the film. 

Directed by first-time filmmaker and journalist Nicole Karsin, We Women Warriors bears witness to neglected human rights catastrophes and interweaves character-driven stories about female empowerment, unshakable courage, and faith in the endurance of indigenous culture.

“While working as a correspondent in Colombia I learned that nearly one-third of the nation’s 102 indigenous groups are in danger of extinction because of the violence,” Karsin explains. “Native people are disproportionately slain by the army, paramilitary and insurgent fighters who vie to control their ancestral land. My growing awareness of these ongoing atrocities compelled me to make this film.”

Using her hard-earned access as a journalist, the filmmaker traveled between several villages over a three-year span to chronicle a few exceptional native women using the wisdom of words and the tribal tradition of collective actions to defend themselves amid ongoing combat. Fluent in Spanish, and savvy about traveling in Colombia's conflict zones, Karsin at times served as a one-woman production team, shooting alone in the Colombian countryside while other times she traveled and worked with a small, committed Colombian crew.

“As a woman, I was drawn to telling this story through the point of view of several female leaders I had the good fortune of meeting,” Karsin says. “When I met the film’s protagonists Doris, Ludis and Flor in 2006, they were each facing complicated choices, representative of the many life-and-death situations in Colombia that remain unbeknownst to many. The objective in making We Women Warriors was to shine a light on these remarkable female leaders who were using peaceful methods to transform their lives and transcend oppression.

Hardly a film only about women, We Women Warriors captures the struggles that people around the world go through because of political corruption, oppression, fighting for freedom and equal rights, and because of the drug trade, which is fueled by the U.S.’ ravenous demand for 90 percent of Colombia’s cocaine.

Catch We Women Warriors on Friday, April 19 at 7:30pm at Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, located at 4800 Hollywood Blvd. Tickets are $20 and include a wine and cheese reception, as well as a Q&A with filmmaker Nicole Karsin.