In June 2011, Sandra Bagaria was in an online romance with a Syrian revolutionary named Amina Arraf. Then Amina disappeared, and someone told Sandra she had been kidnapped by agents of the regime. Sandra mobilized along with gay activists all over the world to demand Amina’s release. But then everything unraveled, and Sandra learned that her lover never existed.
Gay Girl in Damascus: The Amina Profile, which opens at the Roxie theater on July 24, is Sandra’s story. We talk with Sandra about the experience of making the film.
“The Mistreatment of Women During Childbirth in Health Facilities Globally: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review” is a survey of 65 studies from 34 countries. Its findings are part of the evaluation of the Millennium Development Goals, or MDG, eight objectives established by the United Nations in 2000. We talk with researcher Meghan Bohren of the World Health Organization.
Also Spiraleena Mason of 3 Girls Theatre joins us to talk about the upcoming New Works Festival, August 3 through 9 at San Francisco’s Thick House.