The Sydney Feminists have teamed up with United Nations Youth Australia to bring you a screening of “Don’t Bury My Heart”, a powerful documentary about child executions in Iran.  Created by director/producer Saba Vasefi, the film has been screened for the BBC, Amnesty International in London, as well as the Copenhagen International Film Festival, the Iran Human Rights forum at the University of Oslo and the UN in Geneva.

Date and time: Sunday 27th October at 6:30pm

Venue:  Dendy Opera Quays.  9/2 E Circular Quay, Sydney.

Tickets:  $20 Concession |  $30 Full Price
Buy tickets here

Despite its subject matter, the film is not graphic but rather artistic in style. (Read more about the film here). With World Day Against the Death Penalty coming up on the 10th October, now is the time to draw attention to this important issue.

While the film is specifically about child execution in Iran, the event is broadly focused on the various perils affecting our youth, such as sex trafficking, slavery and war. To this end, we have a line-up of some incredible speakers who will discuss these topics on the night in a panel event. In addition, documentary film maker and human rights activist Saba Vasefi will be present to introduce her film to the audience.

Live music to be performed by cellists Emilly Duffill and Minerva Khodabandeh with vocals by Saba Vasefi.

Proceeds from the night will go towards funding the work of UN Youth and The Sydney Feminists.

Guest Speakers:

Saba Vasefi

Saba Vasefi is a poet, a documentary filmmaker and human rights activist. She grew up in an artistic family. When music was religiously forbidden in Iran, her father was the first person to organise a school for music in religious and small towns. Her mother was a teacher who volunteered for a charity that arranged organ transplants for people who could not afford them. Her mother also volunteered at an orphanage, and Saba became familiar with the children who stayed there. When she was 16 years old, she wrote a dark, angry poem protesting children’s situation in the orphanage. This poem attracted the notice of the town authorities. After receiving this attention, she started work as a serious volunteer in the most deprived and poor orphanage. At age 21, she used music therapy there for the first time. According to Saba, Parisa Daneshvar was the only child music therapist to accept her invitation to assist her in this project.

At the same time, she took her formal education very seriously. Her thesis for her MA in Feminist Literary Criticism received the highest grades. She was only 24 years old when she started her job as a lecturer in one of the most prestigious Universities in Tehran, Shahid Beheshti University. She became a member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters. She also worked as a reporter for the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. She was twice a judge for the Sedigheh Dolatabadi Book Prize for best literature on women’s issues. She was fired from the University after 4 years of teaching due to her activist activities. She has published poems, research papers, articles, reports, interviews and multimedia about executions, censorship, and women and children’s rights. One of her multimedia pieces is called “Shirin, A Soloist in the Silence Room“. This last film was screened in Geneva for the UN. She has also had work published in the anthology “Confronting the Clash: The Suppressed Voices of Iran

She is currently the Program Officer for The Sydney Feminists. She resides in Sydney.

Dr Eman Sharobeem

Eman Sharobeem has been an active advocate of migrants and refugee women since 1987.

Currently Eman is the Director of Immigrant Women’s Health Service (IWHS), Commissioner of Community Relation Commission NSW, Statutory Board Members, Anti-Discrimination Board NSW, Member of NSW Domestic & Family Violence Council, Convener of Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Network (IRWN), Chairwoman of Non English Speaking Women’s Housing (NESH), Chairperson  of Macarthur/Liverpool Regional Advisory Council and a Member of the Association of Former International Civil Servants (AFICS).

In 2013 Eman was selected as a finalist in the Premier’s Award for Woman of the Year, and presented with a Certificate from the Parliament of Australia in recognition of her service and inspiration for Australian women. Eman also was nominated as one of the most influential women in Australia in 2012 for her Human Trafficking and Forced Marriage Advocacy campaigns.  (Read more about Dr Sharobeem here.)

Tim Matthews

National President of UN Youth Australia

Tim is currently studying Arts/Law at the University of Sydney.

An endlessly argumentative international relations nerd, Tim is always up for a good debate.

Tim previously served as the President of the New South Wales division from 2010-2012, and as Convenor of the UN Youth Australia National Conference 2013. Tim is incredibly excited to serve as the National President of UN Youth Australia, and the opportunity that it presents to think strategically about how our organisation can open as many young Australian eyes to the world as possible.

The panel event will follow the screening of the film.  There will be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions of our panelists at the end.  There will also be an opportunity to donate to several youth charities working to stop crimes against young people and defend their human rights.  Book now to avoid disappointment!