SAT-7 documentary heads to Baghdad film festival

SAT-7's documentary highlighting the challenges facing sole female providers in a patriarchal culture is to be screened at the 4th Baghdad International Film Festival.

Rough Ragged Journey reveals the injustice of Lebanon's citizenship rules as it tells the true story of Samira, a Lebanese widow, and her struggle to win Lebanese citizenship for her four children.

Lebanese law states that children inherit the citizenship of their father - who in this case was Egyptian - meaning that although Samira's children were born in Lebanon to a Lebanese mother, they have no legal right to education, medical care or employment.

Samira has been fighting for years to keep her children in Lebanon. She thought her struggle had finally paid off when in 2009 a court case came down in her favour. However, the family were devastated when a year later the ruling was overturned, leaving her children once again without any legal rights.

Despite all the setbacks, Samira is as determined as ever to win citizenship for her children. She says at the end of the film: "I will keep on struggling for the government to grant me my rights!"

The documentary will compete against 18 other films for a prize in the Human Images category when it screens at the film festival on 7 October.

SAT-7 commissioned Rough Ragged Journey as part of its Female Heads of Household campaign. It was produced by Juliana Sfeir and directed by Dany Jneidy.

SAT-7 said the documentary was "an opportunity to show that God cares about the earthly struggles of His people, and is honoured to compete alongside the wider broadcast media industry in the region".