Wellywood Woman

  Rouzie Hassanova introduces her Radiogram (photo: Adrienne Martyn) To mark the anniversary of the Christchurch massacre, on 15 March 2019, Green MP Jan Logie hosted a screening of  Rouzie Hassanova’s  Radiogram , organised by #directedbywomen #aotearoa. It was just before New Zealand’s first Covid-19 lockdown, in March 2020. We got together for a drink and a snack at Backbenchers, along with our lovely photographer  Adrienne Martyn , and then crossed to Parliament’s Beehive theatrette. (Since then New Zealanders have become very familiar with this venue, where almost-daily Covid-19 press conferences are streamed, with the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, other Ministers and the Legendary Dr Ashley Bloomfield.) Lorna Kanavatoa welcomed us all in the voice of the mana whenua, Taranaki Te Ātiawa, and introduced Jan as ‘one of our local Porirua people who we’re so proud of having amongst us and who speaks on our behalf’. Jan Logie speaks from the heart (photo: Adrienne M...

Rouzie Hassanova at work Rouzie Hassanova’s award-winning  Radiogram  is #directedbywomen #aotearoa’s first screening for 2020, at Parliament on 16 March. It will be hosted by Jan Logie MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Justice, a visionary and very effective politiciant. In particular, Jan’s an outstanding advocate for those affected by violence and discrimination, including women in the screen industries, through her support of the  Screen Women’s Action Group , as well as #directedbywomen #aotearoa’s programme. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Jan, Rouzie and legendary editor Annie Collins. If you’d like an invitation, please get in touch ASAP: radiogramscreening [at] gmail.com! Based on a true story from 1971,  Radiogram  is   set in a Muslim community in Bulgaria under the Communist regime (1946–1990), where religious expression and western music are forbidden. It’s about a father who decides to walk a...