Short Film Featuring Maya Angelou’s ‘Still I Rise’ Pays Tribute to Woman Life Freedom Movement

‘Rise’ a new short film from a global collective of production partners pays tribute to the #WomanLifeFreedom movement, celebrating and honouring the fierce women of Iran alongside women and girls across the globe.

Released (Monday, March 20th) to coincide with Iranian new year, the film is presented by advocacy group Evoca Pictures (Evoca Foundation) and executive producer Naza Alakija. Iranian new year also marks the first Spring festivity since the death of Masha Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died while in police custody for allegedly wearing a loose headscarf.

The ten-minute short, which was granted permission from Maya Angelou’s estate to include ‘Still I Rise’, pays tribute to the #WomanLifeFreedom movement through the story of a teenage girl resisting the patriarchal ‘morality police,’ after she is kidnapped from the streets of Tehran.

The film’s release will be accompanied by a digital advocacy campaign rolled out on Evoca Foundation’s social media channels.

Evoca is an independent organisation working across education, climate action, and supporting women and girls. Launched in 2021, Evoca Pictures provides activists and advocates with strategic insight, expertise, and expansive networks for creating world-class content that instils hope and drives visible impact.

Naza Alakija, founder and CEO of Evoca Foundation, said: “With Rise we wanted to commemorate and celebrate the women of Iran and indeed women all over the world who are too often silenced before their stories can be heard. Indeed, many of the brilliant creative minds behind ‘Rise’ will remain anonymous because their involvement with the project puts them at risk of retribution from the Iranian regime. At present our future looks uncertain, but women in Iran continue to present a unified front, despite how costly resistance has become. We are asking audiences to share this film, to help amplify Iranian voices, and to rise for Woman, Life, Freedom.”

SHIRZAN, director/ writer, said: “Rise was my opportunity to scream despite being silenced. My Alias and my need for anonymity represents not just myself, but it also represents all the Iranians who are suffocated, silenced and unable to dance, sing and express themselves openly. Within ‘Rise’, the aim was to echo the sentiments of Nika Shakarami’s mother, a young girl who was killed by the authorities. Her mother said, “...you cannot burn women made of fire”

I wanted to convey that the fire within these girls lives on through the movement, their fire lives on through us and I hope this fire can now live on through our audience, as we pass the baton to you to tweet, share, like and spread the message of #WomanLifeFreedom.”

Yasaman Mohsani, cast member (Niloo), said: “Playing the part of Niloo in ‘Rise’ gave me permission to pour everything it means and feels to be in love, angry, and heartbroken into a performance. I wanted to represent and validate the brave people of Iran as they valiantly fight for their human rights, equality, and democracy - to show you their beauty, courage, and strength. With ‘Rise’, I hope to inspire audiences to amplify Iranian voices - to rediscover how powerful they are and what a tremendous difference they can make. I hope it ignites a fire within them to stand passionately with Iranian people for the liberation of humankind.”

Ariane Gray, cast member (Chadory), said: “Since the protests and uprising started in September following the unjust and tragic death of Mahsa Amini, like most Iranians my life has changed. Seeing the daily news and videos of Iranian civilians being abducted, raped, tortured, or killed at the hands of the Iranian regime, one cannot help but feel a sense of duty and responsibility to use the freedom we have here to support their struggle. This project is in solidarity with all the people that are suffering at the hands of this brutal regime. I hope that with ‘Rise’ we tell the story truthfully and with integrity in honour of the people of Iran. This is the fight of our generation. By standing up against inequality and oppression, we stand against it happening in the future, which ultimately needs to happen on a global scale. Violence against women is not happening just in Iran, it’s happening everywhere. I hope that audiences rise up and unite for woman, life, and freedom.”