By Maria Esteves – March 3, 2012 If only one life is spared, my existence has been justified, is the way humanitarian, celebrity artist Zelda Kaplan (1916-2012) lived her life. An artist who collects rare African ritual carvings from West Africa, a Golf champion, a professional dancer, and trainer in Ballroom International and Cuban style. Zelda’s findings of rare African ritual carvings in West Africa inspired her humanitarian efforts on marital violence, FGM (Female Genital Mutilation),...

14th Flying Broom International Women’s Film Festival hosts many filmmakers from all over the world in May in Ankara. The opposing voice of Iranian cinema, Tahmineh Milani; young talent of Cuban cinema, Prakriti Maduro; the director filming menopause for the first time, Paula Palacios; an original voice from Belgium, Vanja D’alcanatara; and Efua Dorkenoo who portrays grassroots movement against female genital mutilation in Africa are just a few of the guests of the festival. ...

The impressive tale of the nomad girl Waris Dirie, who would conquer the catwalks of the world, preludes the festival at the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater. The opening film of the 16th International Oldenburg Filmfestival is based on the same titled bestseller by the international top-model Waris Dirie, who is leading the fight against female genital mutilation. Director Sherry Hormann ("Father's Day") put the deeply moving story into film, which is released nationally in Germany by...