Sonita tells the remarkable, inspiring story of its namesake: a gutsy, defiant, 14-year- old Afghan refugee who fights to live the way she wants as an artist, musician and singer. This remarkable film is not on general release, but we have secured an exclusive screening at Cinema Nova. Funds raised from this special screening will help the choir.
Watch the official trailer now.
Be seated by 7pm to catch a special performance by the Brunswick Women’s Choir before the film.
Event details
When: Thursday 18 May – 7pm performance / 7.30pm screening
Where: Cinema Nova, Carlton
Tickets: Online at Trybooking: $22 full / $15 concession
Tickets are only available online (not tickets at the door)!
Film synopsis
Sonita is 18-years- old, an undocumented Afghan illegal immigrant living in the poor suburbs of Tehran. She is a feisty, spirited, young woman who fights to live the way she wants, as an artist, singer, and musician in spite of all her obstacles she confronts in Iran and her conservative patriarchal family. In harsh contrast to her goal is the plan of her family – strongly advanced by her mother – to make her a bride and sell her to a new family. The price right now is about US$9.000.
The main storyline of the film builds around Sonita’s struggle to escape a forced marriage. She fights with the dilemma of not losing her family, but still be able to build a life of her own. In order to do so, she needs to obtain resident status, and to record and make video clips for her songs on a miniscule budget. Through this, we witness her family and their dilemmas and get to know her friends and colleagues who are also child laborers in the NGO “House of Affection”. Will Sonita be forced into marriage? Will she succeed in recording her songs? Will her family manage to take her back to Afghanistan? The film unfolds in Sonita’s home, at the NGO and in music studios in and around Teheran. Later we will need to travel to her hometown in Afghanistan.
