WASHINGTON (Pajhwok): Prominent Afghan film director and producer Roya Sadat is listed among 50 global thinkers by prestigious Foreign Policy magazine for 2017 “for bringing the story of Afghan women to the screen.”
Roya is one of Afghanistan where women remain largely subdued, Foreign Policy magazine said, releasing its list of global thinkers for the year 2017.
The list is topped by California Senator Kamala Harris, followed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and popular comedian Hasan Minhaj. It also includes Chelsea Manning, Stephen Bannon, Roya Sadat, and Emmanuel Macron.
Among the list are presidential candidate for the FARC, the Colombian rebel group that has traded in its weapons for party politics; the venture capitalist who is using tech companies to bridge the gap between Israel and Palestine; and an Iraqi member of parliament who is demanding her country recognize the genocide of the Yazidis.
“This year’s list showcases a remarkable range of individuals who have found ways to exert enormous influence, often in unexpected ways, on a wild range of issues — from North Korea policy, to the rise of populism, to how we combat fake news, to cementing a new narrative in American culture… to comedy,” said Jonathan Tepperman, editor in chief of Foreign Policy magazine.
“These amazing people are not only rethinking our world, but also reshaping it. They defined 2017, and we’re thrilled by the chance to recognize their accomplishments — for good, at least in most cases,” he said.
Sadat believes a society without female stories is incomplete, the Foreign Policy magazine said.
For Sadat, moods, feelings, and family life are “different for women and men.” Women cry more easily than men because they “can think deeper about the world — about humanity,” she says.
While urban Afghanistan has undergone rapid changes, most Afghans still grow up in families steeped in fundamentalist ideas. “I really believe in cinema. If we want to change anything in this country, we must use culture,” she said.
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