WATCH THE FULL FILM | Sunkissed London Presents Unfiltered – The Documentary
UNFILTERED – A DOCUMENTARY premiered on Thursday, March 20th, 2014 at Moore Building Auditorium, Royal Holloway, School of Management
Sunkissed London presents Unfiltered, a mini-documentary that captures the distinct views of a group of globally-influenced women as they craft a life for themselves in the UK.
Watch as the women speak openly about the high and lows of leaving their homeland to create a life anew in London.
Filmed modestly in natural light to allow the genuine authenticity of each woman to shine through, Unfiltered will leave viewers with thought-provoking insight from a global community of women living and learning in London.
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Executive Produced by: Kelliann McDonald, Gabriel McKenzie, Rachel Hart; Filmed by: Ejovi Agarin; Directed by: Kelliann McDonald; Edited by: Kelliann McDonald.
CLICK HERE to watch the FULL Documentary on YouTube.
Which Place Is More Sexist, The Middle East Or Latin America? – “Even having all the freedom in the world can be its own cage”
On the left: Women wearing burqas walk by the Gulf of Aqaba in Jordan in 2006. Right: Women in bikinis visit a beach in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. [Source: Marco Di Fabio and Nelson Almeida/Getty Images]
March 16, 2014 5:13 AM
A semi-naked woman in a sequined Carnival costume. A veiled woman with only her eyes showing in a niqab. Two stereotypes of two vastly different regions — Latin America and the Middle East.
On the surface, these two images couldn’t be more diametrically opposed. What could the two have in common, right? What a woman wears — or what she doesn’t wear in Brazil’s case — is often interpreted as a sign of her emancipation. The veil, for many, is a symbol of female oppression; the right to wear a bikini, one of liberation.
As a woman and a foreigner who lived in Baghdad and Cairo and worked throughout the Middle East for years, I always felt the need to dress modestly and respectfully. Frankly, my recent move back to Latin America was initially a relief. Brazil is the land where less is more — and it was wonderful to put on whatever I wanted.
But underneath the sartorial differences, the Middle East and Latin America’s most famously immodest country both impose their own burdens on women with the way they are treated and perceived.
On a recent balmy afternoon, I was sitting at a seafront kiosk watching Brazil’s carnival coverage on the biggest broadcaster here, GLOBO. Suddenly, a naked woman pops onto the screen during a commercial break. She is wearing nothing. Literally nothing except a smile and some body glitter. Called the “globelleza,” she is the symbol of GLOBO’s festival coverage and she appears at every commercial break.
Later programming showed a contest where women from various Samba schools — all of them black — were judged on their dancing and appearance by a panel that was all white. They all had their measurements read out for the crowd. But when one woman said she was studying at one of Brazil’s premier petrochemical departments to eventually work in the oil and gas industry, the male judge smirked in surprise.
The Role Of Women In Brazil
And that’s the thing about Brazil — it has a female president and women are well-represented in the work force. This isn’t Saudi Arabia, where women cannot drive or Afghanistan under the Taliban, where women could not study.
And yet it is one of the most dangerous countries to be female.
::UNFILTERED – PREMIERE:: Thursday, 20th of March, 2014 6:15 PM
::UNFILTERED – A DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE::
Thursday, 20th of March, 2014 6:15 PM
Moore Building Auditorium (MBLT) Royal Holloway, School of Management
All welcome. Free admission.
A cocktail reception will precede the film. Refreshments and light bites will be served. A brief Q&A session with the stars and creators of the film will take place after the viewing.
VIEW FILM TRAILER : http://bit.ly/sunkissedlondon
For more info, please contact:
sunkisslondon@gmail.com
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Sunkissed London presents Unfiltered, a mini-documentary that captures the distinct views of a group of globally-influenced women as they craft a life for themselves in the UK.
Watch as the women speak openly about the highlights and challenges of leaving their homeland to create a life anew in London.
Filmed modestly in natural light to allow the genuine authenticity of each woman to shine through, Unfiltered will leave viewers with thought-provoking insight from a global community of women living and learning in London.
Co-Executive Produced by: Kelliann McDonald, Gabriel McKenzie, Rachel Hart; Filmed by: Ejovi Agarin; Directed by: Kelliann McDonald; Edited by: Kelliann McDonald.
Sunkissed Feature: Pritsana Wannasa
Pritsana Wannasa
Nationality
Thai
How long have you resided in or near London?
1 year and a half
How has life in London contributed to your development in being successful or acted as a platform for your career?
Learning different cultures and getting to experience a multicultural society.
What words of encouragement would you share with other women who intend to advance their careers and lives by moving to London?
London’s definitely a colourful city, lovely city. Enjoy London life with London’s attractions, musical plays, food and drink.
Pritsana strikes a pose with her first snowman
A hazing day in London as Pritsana sits with the London Bridge as her horizon
Pritsana experiences the spectacular carnival costumes at the annual caribbean carnival festivities in Nottinghill, London
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Pritsana has several years experience as a professional in the aviation industry, but decided to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the working world and is currently a full time MBA student studying in London.
Sunkissed Feature: Ebonette Bain
Ebonette Bain
Nationality:
Bahamian
How long have you resided in London/outskirts of London?
I have been here from the end of September 2013, so it has been about 5-6 months.
How will you explain life in London contributed to your development in being successful or acted as a platform for your career.
When I first visited London in January 2013, I fell in love. One of my lifelong aspirations has been to pursue a Master’s degree abroad. I decided England would be the perfect place to do this. I am pursuing MSc in International Accounting and Finance at the University of Kent. I have learned so much over the months. I can see myself as a finance professional and also an entrepreneur of a variety of businesses.
There are endless possibilities for me. To add to this,I like that there are always events to attend in London. As a businesswoman and student, I love that the city of London has conferences, seminars, and workshops so often. I love to attend these and unlock a new aspiration I might have.
Living in an international setting away from home has helped me to see the world through a different lens. England is like a mixed salad with people from different walks of life, backgrounds and cultures. It is amazing how many people you could meet, some who are just like you and some who are so different. I have always wanted to work in a diverse environment with people from all over the world. You would be amazed by the things you could learn from people. Cultural diversity continues to make me more accepting, tolerant and understanding.
Can you provide some advice or words of encouragement for other women who intend to advance their career in London?
This world is full of endless possibilities. Do not let anyone or anything hinder you from fulfilling your dreams. Not everyone is going to understand your drive, your aspirations. Do not let that stop you from pursuing it though. I have experienced a number of obstacles that tried to persuade me not to pursue a MSc degree, but I refused to comply. I refused to listen to that person who didn’t want to see me better my career. I refused to settle with the study options I was initially given. I refused not to fulfill my dreams and make a better life for me and my loved ones. If I can do it given the circumstances, you can do it too!
Ebonette loves to travel throughout Europe to see classic sites like this cathedral
Musicals like Wicked are a must -see for Ebonette while in London
Ebonette also finds time to dine at fine establishments across the region
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Ebonette has been studying for her MSc in Finance in London since late 2013.
[PREVIEW] Unfiltered – Presented By Sunkissed London for International Women’s Day 2014
Happy International Women’s Day!
CLICK HERE to access the global hub for sharing International Women’s Day news, events and resources.
“Countries with more gender equality have better economic growth. Companies with more women leaders perform better. Peace agreements that include women are more durable. Parliaments with more women enact more legislation on key social issues such as health, education, anti-discrimination and child support. The evidence is clear: equality for women means progress for all.” –UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
We Should All Be Feminists #learn
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at TEDxEuston
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie a renowned Nigerian novelist was born in Nigeria in 1977. She grew up in the university town of Nsukka, Enugu State where she attended primary and secondary schools, and briefly studied Medicine and Pharmacy. She then moved to the United States to attend college, graduating summa cum laude from Eastern Connecticut State University with a major in Communication and a minor in Political Science.
She holds a Masters degree in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins and a Masters degree in African Studies from Yale University. She was a 2005-2006 Hodder Fellow at Princeton, where she taught introductory fiction. Chimamanda is the author of Half of a Yellow Sun, which won the 2007 Orange Prize For Fiction; and Purple Hibiscus, which won the 2005 Best First Book Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the 2004 Debut Fiction Hurston/Wright Legacy Award.
In 2009, her collection of short stories, The Thing around Your Neck was published. She was named one of the twenty most important fiction writers today under 40 years old by The New Yorker and was recently the guest speaker at the 2012 annual commonwealth lecture. She featured in the April 2012 edition of Time Magazine, celebrated as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. She currently divides her time between the United States and Nigeria.
The Top 10 TEDTalks Every Woman Should See #Learn
Anna Verghese, deputy director of the TED Prize, curates the top 10 moments for women in TED that we all need to see.
Amy Cuddy: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are
“An essential talk for all young women! Cuddy is a psychologist and Harvard Business School professor who explains how our posture and body language shape not only how others see us but how we see ourselves,” says Verghese.
Chimamanda Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story
“The young Nigerian author gives a beautiful, elegant, and at times hilarious talk about the danger of believing a single, narrow story about anything or anyone,” says Verghese. “My favorite anecdote: When she arrived at college in the U.S., her roommate asked to hear some of her ‘tribal music.’ Chimamanda pulled out a Mariah Carey CD.”
Brené Brown: The Power of Vulnerability
“This blockbuster talk came out of one of our TEDx events in Houston,” says Verghese. “Brené’s take on vulnerability—and why it’s essential to our relationships and to our success—has won her millions of fans worldwide.”
Cynthia Breazeal: The Rise of Personal Robots
This MIT professor “talks about her love of robots—which began when she saw Star Wars as a girl (R2D2!)—and new kind of intelligent, personal robots she designs,” says Verghese.
Courtney Martin: Reinventing Feminism
“A beautifully heartfelt talk, she describes the three paradoxes that define her generation’s question to define the term [feminism] for themselves,” Verghese.
Sunkissed London 