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To mark International Women’s Day. Saïda Ouchaou-Ozarowski’s documentary In Full Voice streaming online at NFB.ca starting March 8.

PRESS RELEASE
21/02/2022

February 21, 2022 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

The documentary In Full Voice, directed by Saïda Ouchaou-Ozarowski and produced by the NFB’s Canadian Francophonie Studio, will be available to stream free of charge on NFB.ca starting March 8, International Women’s Day. The film will also be broadcast (in its original French version) on ICI RDI at 8 p.m. on the same day. The Toronto-based director offers a rarely seen perspective on the realities of Muslim women in Canada, celebrating their diversity in a frank, honest and sensitive portrait that goes a long way towards deconstructing prejudices.

In Full Voice
2021, 52 min 40 s
Produced at the NFB by Denis McCready
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/in-full-voice

  • Muslim women are not who we think they are: they’re neither silent nor submissive. Six Muslim Canadian women, all strong-willed feminists, take centre stage to deconstruct the prejudices that surround them, piece by piece. In Full Voice lets the women speak for themselves, and they openly share their unique journeys, without any taboos.
  • From Montreal to Toronto, New York City and Canada’s West Coast, Sonia, Kenza, Asmaa, Loubna, Eman and Farheen open up about their experiences with poise and sensitivity, discussing their relationships to freedom, religion and culture, and revealing their hopes and doubts in the process.
  • Their individual quests for identity reflect our own, reminding us that ultimately, we are not so different.

About the filmmaker

  • Saïda Ouchaou-Ozarowski was born in France, and her background is Algerian and Berber.
  • Her childhood was infused with her parents’ Muslim culture, and growing up, she sought to understand the religion, distinguishing its message from its customs and patriarchal interpretations of Islam.
  • In Paris, she studied law and got involved with community organizations, and by age 20 was elected a city councillor in suburban Arcueil.
  • September 11, 2001, was a pivotal date in her life journey. At the time, Saïda was in Vancouver. The tragic events left a mark, as did the ensuing media coverage and facile stereotypes that victimized Muslim populations in Western countries.
  • Conversations with a number of Muslim women prompted her to attempt to dismantle prejudices and change the narrative, and In Full Voice was born.

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French version here | Version française ici.

Media Relations

  • Judith Dubeau
    IXION Communications for the NFB
    514-495-8176
    judith.dubeau@ixioncommunications.com

     

    Lily Robert
    Director, Communications, Partnerships and Public Affairs
    Phone: 514-283-3838
    Cell: 514-296-8261
    l.robert@nfb.ca

  • Lily Robert
    Director, Communications and Public Affairs, NFB
    C.: 514-296-8261
    l.robert@nfb.ca

  • About the NFB

    Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 6,500 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.