Khadija Al-Salami is Yemen?s first female filmmaker. She has made over 20 documentaries for TV stations in France and Yemen and received several awards at various film festivals worldwide. She has co-written a book with her husband* "The Tears of Sheba*? about her experiences growing up in Yemen. She currently serves as the Press Counselor and Director of the Communication and Cultural Center at the Embassy of Yemen in Paris* France. During her visit to Yemen last week* Nadia Al-Sakkaf interviewed Khadija about her recent trip* her work and her hopes for her homeland.Q: What is the latest project that you are working on in Yemen?I am here to film a documentary about revenge killing and another about corruption. I found it extremely difficult to capture corruption on camera. Everyone talks about it but it is very hard to substantiate on film. No one will admit to being corrupt and will agree to be filmed red-handed* yet everyone is involved. What frustrates me is that because of this task* I had come across many related issues and realized that people don't want to do anything about it. They just want to talk and blame some one else. While the real blame is shared amongst us all* government officials* simple citizens* employees* employers* ministers? even me* myself. It is everyone's duty to fight it. I am not sure how I will go about it in my film* but it has been very hard to achieve this and catch corruption as it happens.Q: It is said that you are Yemen's first woman filmmaker. When did you start producing films?You can say I am the first internationally-known director and the first female filmmaker from Yemen. There are directors today but they don't create public films yet. My first production was in 1990 for my thesis* and it was about women in Yemen.Q: Do you feel that you have a responsibility to help active women in Yemeni media? How do you support them in their work?Because of the difficult time I had growing up [here]* I felt my first responsibility was towards myself. I was trying to fight my circumstances* my family and break every traditional rule there is just to be who I am and to achieve something. I wanted to build myself and grow as soon as possible* so I went for an education and when I had no money to sponsor myself* I found a job while I was just a teenager. I wanted to prove myself and feel free to do as I wished without being criticized. I wanted to take control of myself.Now that I have achieved all this* and have become an internationally-known director and documentary producer* I am dedicating time and effort to others. I do this through my films and my work and I feel obliged to be the voice of Yemeni women and present their stories to the world.As for professional Yemeni women* I believe they can achieve things by themselves just like I did. If they have the willpower they can do it and I shared my experience with them through my book* "Tears of Sheba*" in which I talked about my life.However* the first thing active Yemeni women need to do is know what they really want to be and start working in that direction. I believe that they can really change their circumstances if they go for it and are determined enough. Look at me- I came from a very modest family with many restrictions and here I am today.Q: Why do you live in France? Despite the fact that you come from a very traditional background* you live a very librated life by Yemeni standards. Does this create some identity confusion for you?I traveled first to the USA and then France in search of a good education and to develop my career. Today* I am settled there and working as the media attaché at the Yemeni embassy in Paris. I could easily be happy and say I have the perfect job and not be involved with social and other issues in Yemen. But I believe that I have a mission in life and this is to promote Yemen to Europe and convey the hidden but beautiful aspects of my country.Every year I organize around 30 Yemen-promoting activities in Europe such as exhibitions* film screening* speeches about Yemen and conferences.I am lucky that I got to live in the States and in France. Certain things bother me in Yemen* yet I still carry some of the genuine behavioral characteristics of Yemenis* and I am proud that I am a Yemeni. When I traveled outside Yemen to America I realized what it is like to really be free. Not to be judged by neighbors or dominated by men. Yes* I was some sort of rebel while in Yemen* but there wasn't a single night that I didn't cry. In the west* I could be me without restrictions. It was easier to be myself in the States because over there* people take you as you are. In France I discovered the taste of life* because France has more culture in a way* and people are more interested in history* the good food and quality of life. It was through French eyes that I started appreciating the beauty of my country. When they photographed or documented my own country* I saw how beautiful it looks. It was an eye opener for me and since then* I have seen Yemen differently and realized how beautiful Yemen and Yemenis are. Now I appreciate the small things in Yemeni culture* such as caring for others and the feeling of community.Q: Who will carry on your legacy?You all do it. Your positions [do it]. I am proud of Yemeni women activists. I get more strength from you* especially when I reflect on how I live an easy life in Europe and you are here and you still do this marvelous work and achieve many things. I am really impressed by Yemeni women such as you. Whenever I am depressed - especially when I face obstacles doing my work in Yemen - I think of you ladies. I think you are amazing and I am really proud of you; you struggle every day and still achieve.Q: How do you choose your work? Which is the dearest piece of work to your heart so far and why?The story about Najimia [A Stranger in Her Own City] and the one about Amina are the closest to my heart because they have touched me personally. In a way* they have reflected some of the sufferings I had as a little girl and so I related to those women. I thought to myself when interviewing the girls* "this could have easily been me." These two films I did by chance* but the others were more planned.Q: It is said that you took the credit for Amina's pardon from Lawyer Shada Nasser*. Can you tell us about that?Lawyer Shada [Nasser] was the first person who actually worked on Amina's case and she was the one who took up her case and defended her in court. I wanted to do an interview with her in my documentary but she was elusive. I wanted to work on the story with her and help free Amina together. I had made the film about Amina while she was still in prison. When President Saleh was in Paris in May I talked to him about her* and by that time* thanks to Shada Nasser* there was a release order but it was not final. The media lobbying especially after the film was out played a role in getting the pardon for Amina* especially after I had told the president when meeting him in Paris that she was a minor when she committed the crime. According to Sharia law* she should not be executed. He said if that was true he would give her a full pardon.I got to lobby for Amina again when I was visiting Yemen with the French Minister of Cooperation and Development. She said she would honor me in the name of then-President Jack Chirac. That is when I asked her to help me lobby for Amina's release when she was scheduled to meet President Saleh on National Women's Day and she did. He paid the blood money*** which was 7.5 million Yemeni Riyals and Amina went free.I was very lucky in doing Amina's film. I got a permit from the Ministry of Interior and it was surprising how I managed to get my small video camera [into the prison] and I even spent the night in jail filming the women prisoners. It was amazing how they took joy in the simple things in life* although all of them were waiting for the death sentence. They polished their nails* put on makeup* chewed qat* smoked cigarettes?it was an amazing experience for me.I had asked Amina to be herself and pretend I was not even there. That is why I got such amazing snapshots. Even the female guards did not wear uniform and the prisoners had access to knives and scissors for cooking and sewing. I don?t think I ever imagined it would be like that.Q: Having been subjected to an unwanted early marriage yourself at the age of 11* what do you have to say about the issue of early marriage in Yemen? What do you think should be done to prevent it?Premature marriage is the worse punishment that could be inflicted on a female child. It is humiliating and both physically and psychologically painful* though it is accepted by all those around the child* so there is no where to run. I felt no one would rescue me* so I had to rescue myself and I rebelled and threw tantrums and forced my husband and uncle to get me a divorce.I love what you are doing at Yemen Times to support the girls who get married at such a young age. I appreciate the work of all the organizations working in this field. What Yemenis need is education and awareness. I admire these young girls and how they came forward and shared their stories. I admire all the work been done by their lawyer and concerned people.Fortunately* the prevalence of such marriages is decreasing in the cities but it is still there in the villages. Just now* during my visit to the countryside* I came across a 12-year-old girl who is about to be married to her cousin. I asked her mother why she is marrying her daughter off at such a young age. [Her mother] said she had no choice because of her husband's family.What we need to do is go to the villages and educate people. We need to go to them because we know they won't come to us. We also need to find some kind of fund or institutional mechanism to support victims of such abusive marriages. When I forced my family to divorce me* my uncle disowned me and I had to work to support myself because the community would not help. These girls need some where to turn to in order to face such injustice.. Q: What should women in Yemen today do to empower themselves? What advice can you give them as a liberated and empowered woman yourself?Education should be the priority for Yemen. Not any kind of education but high quality education; and also fighting corruption. For women* they should continue to be courageous and brave and not be afraid. They should really go for it. They also need to stick together because solidarity makes them stronger.Q: We know about your achievements* but what about your regrets? No regrets? I always try to look ahead and I think that is what pushes me to continue. I make mistakes but I don't look back.Q: What do you wish for Yemen?I wish for Yemen and Yemenis to take care of themselves and not worry what people say* to do what is good for them; to not criticize others and especially for men not to criticize women. I see women having difficulties because of male oppressors and it has nothing to do with our religion. They [men] think of women as inferior and I want them to see women as equal and respect them as partners. Even the male beggars in the street dominate the female beggars. It hurts me when I see it and women believe they are inferior. Women are different from men but they are equal. Women and men need to work with each other to help each other because the country needs them both. This is the only way we can progress and have a better life. What bothers me about Yemen is how the people don't care about their country. They throw plastic bags and garbage in the streets and it harms the environment and destroys the beautiful scenery of Yemen. I wish Yemeni people would appreciate their country more. In my recent visit to Yemen I went to places such as Raymah* and I enjoyed it greatly. The landscape was beautiful* I think in my heart I am a Yemeni* but my mind is international. I don't know if I will ever settle in Yemen* maybe at certain age I will. But the lifestyle in Europe is easier. Every time when I come [to Yemen]* I don't want to and when I am here I am so happy that I don't want to leave. Maybe it's my sad childhood memories that hold me back from coming to Yemen* but when I am here I see how beautiful it is and that I am a different person now that the painful things of my past are not here to hurt me again.*Editor's Note: Amina Ali Abdulatif is a Yemeni woman who was accused and convicted of killing her husband when she was 14 years old. In 1997* Amina was sentenced to death after her conviction at age 16. According to Yemeni law* minors under the age of 18 are not allowed to face the death penalty for any type of conviction. Lawyer Shada Nasser defended her for a number of years before Khadija made a film about her story. In 2005* Amina's execution was postponed and she was eventually given a full pardon in 2007.**Editor's note: "Blood money" is the term used for the compensation a convict must pay to the victim's family according to Yemeni criminal law....

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