“Odd Thomas” and “Saige Paints the Sky” actor Laurel Harris is narrating PeaceJam Productions’ feature documentary “Shirin Ebadi: Until We Are Free,” one of 28 films selected for the Venice film festival’s gap financing market.
The film is directed by Dawn Gifford Engle, whose previous documentary, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist,” was also narrated by Harris and premiered at Venice 2019.
The first Muslim woman to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize, Shirin Ebadi has inspired millions around the globe through her work as a human rights lawyer defending women and children in Iran. The film is the story of one woman against the system, a woman who never gives up.
“It has been an honor to work with so many remarkable Nobel Peace laureates, including the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Shirin Ebadi, as part of the PeaceJam Nobel Legacy film series and to lend my voice to Shirin’s story of fighting for women and children to be treated with basic human dignities,” Harris told Variety.
In addition to “Shirin Ebadi: Until We Are Free” and “The Dalai Lama: Scientist,” PeaceJam has produced several other films as part of the Nobel Legacy series including “Betty Williams: Contagious Courage,” “Oscar Arias: Without a Shot Fired,” “Adolfo Perez Esquivel: The Rivers of Hope,” “Rigoberta Menchu: Daughter of the Maya,” and “Desmond Tutu: Children of the Light.”
This year’s Venice production bridge gap financing market will be the first European project co-financing meet to take place physically since the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of film and TV events around the world. To qualify for selection, feature-length film projects have to have at least 70% of financing in place.