Akhmedabad, India: On a trip through India, Inés stumbles upon the feminist science-fiction utopia Sultana’s Dream from 1905. In this novella, Bengali author and Muslim feminist Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain describes a place where, thanks to futuristic technologies, women are in charge and make all major decisions, while the men remain in the background. But Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was not only an author, she was above all an activist: The highschool for girls that she founded in Kolkota still exists today. Inspired by her vision and her extraordinary life, Inés sets out to find that mythical place, a safe space where women can live in peace. Her trip turns into a journey of initiation, taking her back to her roots and making her painfully aware of the effects that patriarchy has both on her own life and the lives of so many other women. Using watercolours, papercuts and henna painting, director Isabel Herguera tells a story of universal relevance in beautiful, vibrant images. Pure cinema magic!

ADDITIONAL EVENTS

BEST PRACTICE:

Presentation on the conceptual and artistic development of the feature film SULTANA'S DREAM

FRI, 8.3., 15:30 / Austrian Film Museum

Isabel Herguera will speak about the evolution of her autobiographically inspired debut feature SULTANA'S DREAM, parts of which were created at workshops with women in India, at the Best Practice forum on Friday.

“Call it utopian sci-fi, or the fertile cross-pollination of women thinkers across time and space, but SULTANA’S DREAM takes the audience on a fantasy journey that is as delightful as it is educational.”

Deborah Young – The Film Verdict