Apwonjo, an organization that raises awareness about injustice in sub-Saharan Africa, will be screening the film “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” tonight at 7 p.m in the Ferguson Center Theater.
The film chronicles the story of Christian and Muslim women in Liberia who unite to end a bloody civil war and start a grassroots movement to give women a voice in Liberian society.
“[The film] is a cool story showing how these women forced their way into government. It will be really informative,” said Brian Kraus, a freshman majoring in physics and international studies.
After the screening of “Pray the Devil Back to Hell,” there will be a 30-minute discussion panel comprised of three UA faculty members to discuss the film with the audience. There will be prepared questions as well as an open question and answer session.
“It’s exciting to have a discussion panel,” said Linn Groft, president of Apwonjo and a senior majoring in global studies and community health and development with New College. “There aren’t a lot of faculty at UA that have a background in research of developing countries. This will help people understand and provide an opportunity to hear about the professors’ passionate work outside the classroom.”
Appearing on the discussion panel will be professor Maha Marouan from the department of religious studies. Marouan, who is originally from Morocco, focuses on literature and religion in the African-Americas.
Rachel Raimist, a professor in the Department of Telecommunication and Film whose primary research interests include women in film and feminist filmmaking, will also appear on the discussion panel.
The third member of the discussion panel will be professor Jennifer Shoaff, who specializes in gender and race studies on women in the Caribbean, Latin America and other developing countries.
“It’s really cool to provide viewers with additional good information from local experts,” Kraus said.
The movie was selected for screening after Caitlin Trotter, Apwonjo’s director of public relations, saw it at a Cairo film festival last year.
“Most people are aware of feminism in the United States, but not so much in other countries,” Groft said. “This is a unique opportunity to watch these women fight for peace and rights in their own countries through non-violent peace protests.”
Apwonjo has been advertising their film series through fliers posted on campus, the Honors College newsletter, mailing lists and a Facebook group.
Many students who are required to attend multicultural events for class can receive credit for going to “Pray the Devil Back to Hell.”
“[The film] is a learning experience for our members as well as the UA community,” Groft said.
The screening is free to attend and will last a little more than an hour. Since the faculty discussion is a new feature, Apwonjo hopes to have good attendance comparable to their last screening.
The series will show two more films for the semester. Each film correlates to that month’s study in the club. “War Don Don” will be shown March 21 and “F.L.O.W.” will be shown April 11.
Apwonjo is always open for new members to join. Weekly meetings are held in Lloyd Hall Room 202 at 8 p.m. If members cannot attend the weekly meetings there are still plenty of ways to stay involved. For more information, e-mail Linn Groft at [email protected].
