Koromousso, Big Sister with Co-Directors Habibata Ouarme & Jim Donovan

Koromousso, Big Sister is making its World Premiere at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto on March 9th as part of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Tickets can be purchased on HotDocs.ca. 

On this episode Joy Loewen, CEO of the National Screen Institute, sits down with Directors Habibata Ouarme and Jim Donovan to discuss their forthcoming documentary Koromousso, Big Sister. The film centers on a group of African-Canadian women fighting to take back ownership of their bodies after being victimized by female genital mutilation. Ouarme weaves her own journey with those of her friends to explore the lifelong effects of FGM, the feelings of shame and loneliness they've endured and the path they walk toward individual and collective healing. 

This discussion covers many fascinating topics related to the film including how they managed to capture footage in Burkina Faso, Ouarme's choice to put herself and her story on screen, the dynamic between a first-time filmmaker in Ouarme and an experienced director in Donovan and how they navigated documenting such sensitive and emotional subject matter.