Rayka Zehtabchi | |
---|---|
رایکا زهتابچی | |
Years active | 2015-present |
Notable work | Period. End of Sentence. |
Rayka Zehtabchi is an Iranian-American filmmaker best known for her 2019 Academy Award-winning documentary short Period. End of Sentence. , which addresses the topic of period poverty. [1] Her previous film, Madaran, was an Iranian-language short about an Iranian mother who must decide whether to spare the life of her son's killer. [2] Zehtabchi is the first Iranian-American woman to win an Academy Award. [3] After the success of Period. End of Sentence, Zehtabchi collaborated with Planned Parenthood and We Testify to make a short film addressing abortion stigma, which was released in 2020. [4] Her newest short film, Long Line of Ladies, premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. [5] The film won the award for Best Documentary Short at SXSW 2022. [6]
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Period. End of Sentence. is a 2018 documentary short film directed by Rayka Zehtabchi about Indian women leading a quiet sexual revolution. The film stars Arunachalam Muruganantham, Shabana Khan, Gouri Choudari, Ajeya, and Anita. The documentary short follows a group of local women in Hapur, India, as they learn how to operate a machine that makes low-cost, biodegradable sanitary pads, which they sell to other women at affordable prices. This not only helps to improve feminine hygiene by providing access to basic products but also supports and empowers the women to shed the taboos in India surrounding menstruation – all while contributing to the economic future of their community. The film is inspired by the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist from Coimbatore, India.
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