Draw for Change!

Distributed by Film PlatformProduced by Hanne Phlypo, Estelle Robin You, Marion Guth, François Le Gall, Heino Deckert, Sigrid Dyekjaer, and Julie GoldmanDirected by Alisar Hasan & Alaa Amer (Syria), Anna Moiseenko (Russia), Sama Pana (India), and Nada Riyadh (Egypt)2023, Streaming, 54-56 minutes each episode Draw for Change! is a powerful six-part series which presents female cartoonists from around the globe including Egypt, India, Mexico, Russia, Syria, and the USA. Each episode in this series is under an hour and examines how the drawings created by these artists have marked their lives and their personal safety. Despite their diverse backgrounds these cartoonists share many common elements. They use their art to speak truth to power even under dangerous circumstances. Through their images they attempt to combat autocracy, censorship, propaganda, and violence against women. The four episodes available to review (the Egypt, India, Russia, and Syria installments) also include evocative scenes that combine live sequences with animation drawn by each featured cartoonist. The entire series uses women directors who often speak to the cartoonists about some of the struggles they face as artists, especially female ones living in hostile societies. In war-torn Syria the cartoonist Amany Al-Ali uses her artistic talents to criticize extremists, Assad’s brutal regime, and his international supporters including Putin. In Russia the artist Victoria Lomasko also stands up to Putin’s authoritarianism, Russian chauvinism, and violence again women that continues to plague the country. Rachita Taneja, a webcomic artist featured in the India segment faces a possible jail sentence or hefty fine for her works that attack Indian Prime Minister Modi’s government and what she calls his “hate factories.” In Egypt viewers are introduced to Doaa El-Adl, an award-winning cartoonist who is renowned in the Arab world for her cartoons that promulgate women’s rights and challenge the Muslim Brotherhood. Totalitarianism, femicide, and hate propaganda plague these artists’ countries which they defy with their drawings. In each episode of Draw for Change! the cartoonists face numerous threats as a result of publishing their art. Much of the intimidation is generated online by social media trolls who instill fear with their threats of violence against these artists. All four cartoonists consider leaving their countries as the harassment and censorship against them continues. One individual does flee and permanently lives in exile as a result of challenging the regime. These women candidly express their fears but bravely continue to draw cartoons that question intolerant political and societal norms. Draw for Change! is highly recommended for college courses in such disciplines as Gender Studies, Graphic Art, Journalism, Media Studies, and Political Science. Through their interviews and incredible artwork, the cartoonists highlighted in this film manifest their courage and their ability to confront censorship in repressive societies. They face daily struggles as women artists in hostile environments. Taneja notes that her comics often originate from a place of anger especially when she witnesses something unjust. El-Adl asserts that “drawing is life” which can help transform a negative into a positive. All these cartoonists dream of an end to censorship. In their quest to make the world a better place through their art, these women inspire. They intrepidly use their talents and their pens to confront injustice, violence, and repression. Awards:The Hague Movies that Matter Festival, 2024 Nominee Activist Documentary Award; Canneseries, 2023 Winner Best Documentary Series