Submitted by Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor

Nadia Murad, whose gripping story is told in the film On Her Shoulders, has won a 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for her work as a global human rights activist. This film, sponsored by Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor, will be screened at the Friday Harbor Film Festival Oct. 26 and 27. Diana Sibert, local Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor president-elect said, “It’s so inspiring to see her recognized in this way, for all she is doing to help women, girls, and the world.”

Murad is a Yazidi-Iraqi woman who was held as an ISIS sex slave in 2014. Since her escape, she has worked to end sexual violence as a weapon of war. CNN reported that “in 2016 at age 23, she was made a UN goodwill ambassador for the dignity of survivors of human trafficking.”

Berit Reiss-Andersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said Murad has “shown uncommon courage in recounting her own sufferings and speaking up on behalf of other victims.” Murad, along with co-laureate Denis Mukwege “has helped to give greater visibility to wartime sexual violence, so that the perpetrators can be held accountable for their actions… Denis Mukwege is the helper who has devoted his life to defending these victims. Nadia Murad is the witness who tells of the abuses perpetrated against herself and others.”

In “On Her Shoulders” filmmaker Alexandria Bombach, with a precision and elegance that complements Murad’s calm and steely demeanor, brings to light an exhausting journey that is fraught with personal pain and profound ethical urgency. From refugee camps in Greece to gilded halls of power, we observe a woman repurpose unimaginable trauma into a powerful rallying cry for justice.

The film will be shown during the film festival at the Friday Harbor House on Friday, Oct. 26 at 7 pm and Saturday, Oct. 27 at 10 am. Information is available at www.fhff.org.