Inna Shevchenko on "Girls and Gods"

#9 Episode: Conversation with Inna Shevchenko on “Girls and Gods”
This film talk was recorded in English. On the occasion of the
Austrian premiere of Girls and Gods, we met with filmmaker and
activist Inna Shevchenko to talk about her first work as a
filmmaker/screenwriter - behind and in front of the camera. The
film is directed by Arash T. Riahi and Verena Soltiz. It follows
Inna while she meets with different women and their spiritual,
political, and bodily quests for freedom, intertwining activism,
trauma, and transcendence in a cinematic discussion on what it
means to live and resist in a patriarchal world in the context of
the three monotheistic religions. In our conversation, Inna speaks
about her approach to filmmaking and her process of shaping a
constructive dialogue even when opinions were opposing each other,
she also talks about the process of selecting the women and
initiatives who appear in Girls and Gods. Inna also reflects on the
difficult task of shaping the film’s many-hours raw version into
its final, concentrated form and how editing became an act of both
letting go and sharpening political meaning to find the right
balance. We also discuss what her wishes for activism are and why
she feels the discussion of religious tradition and practices is
essential to feminism. Inna also reflects on the role of cinema and
how it can become a tool for collective empowerment and spiritual
rebellion. Girls and Gods is a radical and challenging exploration
of womanhood, belief, and liberation. It invites viewers to witness
moments of vulnerability and strength, difficult discussions and it
leads to questioning systems of domination, and to imagine,
alongside its protagonists, a world grounded in equality and
freedom. Before listening to this episode, we recommend watching
Girls and Gods currently showing in Austrian cinemas and at
selected festivals.