How was the third day of "SevilFest"?

The third day of SevilFest was filled with screenings, special events, and engaging discussions with audiences. The programme began with a scarf masterclass led by Aysel Sadigova.

A scarf can symbolize innocence, social norms, or expectations about how a woman should look. But if Sevil were alive today, how would she wear her scarf? On her head? Around her neck? On her bag? Or perhaps not at all? As part of the 7th edition of SevilFest, participants explored the history of the scarf, its hidden meanings, and the many ways it has been worn throughout time. The central question was not "How do you tie it?" but rather "Who ties it, and why?" Together, participants reflected on this question and its broader social and cultural implications.

The programme continued with the screening of Refugee Father. Directed by and featuring Isa Sauer, the documentary follows Isa and his brother Kamil as they set out, twenty years later, to find their father and seek answers to questions that had remained unresolved for decades. Following the screening, Isa Sauer and Kamil Sauer shared their personal experiences and answered questions from the audience.

We then turned our attention to a subject that is too often spoken about in whispers with the documentary The Mysteries of Menopause. Through the stories of women of different ages, the film reveals that millions of women around the world are searching for answers to the same questions. After the screening, audiences gathered for the Menopause Salon, an open discussion about menopause, menstruation, and the taboos surrounding women's health. The discussion was organised in collaboration with Menarki.az, an initiative working in the field of menstrual and women's health education. Thanks to the support of Dolce Duo and Chai Baku, the conversation continued over tea and desserts.

The programme also featured Preconceived, which examines the consequences of the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion, as well as Completely Different, Completely the Same and Good Wife, Dear Son, two documentaries reflecting on the lasting consequences of the Yugoslav Wars.

The final screening of the day was A Fox Under a Pink Moon, winner of major awards from international film critics' associations. The film follows sixteen-year-old Soraya, a gifted young Afghan artist whose remarkable paintings and sculptures are as striking as the darkness that surrounds her life. Trapped in an abusive marriage, Soraya spends five years trying to escape Iran and reunite with her mother in Austria.

Everyone experiences difficult and dark periods in life, but not everyone finds the same way through them. Soraya chooses to document hers. Through video diaries recorded on her phone and sent to director Mehrdad Oskouei, alongside her paintings and surreal animations, she tells her own story in an intimate and deeply personal way.

Following the screening, SevilFest guest and director Mehrdad Oskouei spoke about how he first met Soraya, the challenges of making the film under extremely difficult circumstances, and answered questions from the audience.