The Unknitted lives of Young Girls

Anne Bean & Poshya Kakl


AE Harris Space

part of Birmingham European Festival



‘For several years I have been working with the young Iraqi artist Poshya Kakl, making several public actions together, both in Iraq and through Skype. She has just made a film Knitting Iron with women inside a jail in Iraq, imprisoned for refusing arranged marriages. These women feel safer inside prison than out. Poshya wrote: “We make pieces of Art and of cultural beauty out of the prison wire fencing with the un-knitted lives of young girls, victims of social and cultural rules. These very rules that can at any moment un-knit other lives outside the prison.” I will interact with the film that she made of this action, along with many participants. The audience themselves will be divided by the fence, uncertain who is on the inside or outside. The film is screened for the first time outside of Iraq at BE FESTIVAL.’
Statement for BE FESTIVAL catalogue
Anne Bean, 2011

Audience feedback:

“A thought-provoking film enhanced with a stunning live art exhibition. Very powerful, very moving.”

“the video even on its own was stunning – at first I wondered what the purpose of the live re-enactment was however, eventually, the whole experience seemed to amplify the film and to make the process of the weaving more intimate. I will remember those women’s stories.”

“Very moving and thought-provoking. It totally flipped on its head the whole meaning behind freedom. The production was clever, artistically beautiful and mesmerising.”


“Recreated prison with walls of wool brought the whole film to life, threw me into the prison with them.”



http://befestival.org/festival/the-un-knitted-lives-of-young-women/