By Professor Lisa Thornton, Acquisitions Librarian
This March, Women’s History month overlaps with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. We invite you to view the film, The Light in Her Eyes, directed by Julia Meltzer and Laura Nix.
The film centers around the story of Houda al-Habash, a conservative Muslim preacher who founded a school for girls in Syria. Al-Habash challenges the women of her community to live according to Islam without giving up their dreams to pursue higher education and jobs.
Hilary Kalmbach, Director of The Middle East and North Africa Centre at Sussex, says in a review of the film, “The film succeeds in presenting the complexity of the viewpoints and motivations of these women, making it an invaluable resource for any who want to broaden their understanding of the Middle East and Islam…Beautifully shot, the film shows the vibrant rhythms and colours of daily life in Damascus immediately before Syria’s descent into civil war.”
The Light in Her Eyes was an Official Selection of the 2011 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. The library has licensed this film for our collection through 2025. Access it here.