Voices of Women for Change and Diaspora Arts Connection proudly present a unique screening of the documentary film "Second Breath" (Nafas-e Dovvom), directed by Mojgan Ilanlou, on Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 4:00 PM, followed by an online Q&A with the director. Join us!

About the film

"Second Breath" is a 53-minute documentary produced in 2024. The making of the film took six years. The director has attempted to create an investigative film about the issue of violence against women in Iran. She shows how the ruling politicians in Iran deliberately not only ignore the issue of "violence against women," but also legitimize and justify it through religious discourse and by preventing the passage of fair laws.

In this film, the filmmaker demonstrates how the rulers of Iran themselves are the source of promoting violence against women.

Women and girls are tortured, beheaded, burned, and murdered without any legal prosecution or accountability.

Mojgan Ilanlou, the director of this documentary — who is herself a women's rights activist and has been arrested and tried multiple times — joined the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement during the making of this film. She removed her hijab and was imprisoned as a result.

She shares her personal narrative regarding the issue of violence against women.

Through this film, she shows the audience what factors over many years led to the emergence of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement in Iran, and why women suddenly risked their lives and rose up against the armed rulers.