In the organizer's words:

Women Who Said No tells of courage, faith and the strength to remain unwavering. Ten Bahá'í women from Shiraz, executed in 1983 after months of interrogation and torture, in the years following the Islamic Revolution, refused to deny their faith in the Bahá'í religion, despite torture, threats and unimaginable pressure - and said no.

The film opens up a space of memory and testimony in which every voice, every image and every moment becomes tangible. It makes it clear that the stories of these women are part of a larger story: Many people were and continue to be murdered because of their political or religious beliefs.

The names and faces of these women remain visible, even if they are silently observed and remembered for years. Women Who Said No is part of 3 Days to Liberation because it shows how individual bodies and lives are connected through history. Each individual life, each death, especially in this day and age, is never just a number, but a story that relives itself, in the face of justice.

Text: Maryam Palizban

Sepehr Atefi is a documentary filmmaker and journalist. Born in Iran in 1989, he lives in Germany. After being excluded from higher education in Iran due to his affiliation with the Bahá'í community, he left the country and came to Germany as a political refugee in 2010 after a stay in Turkey. He completed a Master's degree in Media Arts at the Bauhaus University Weimar.

His films combine personal and historical perspectives on themes such as memory, faith and social justice. His works include Among Us (2021) - about Afghans and Afghan-Iranians in Iran - and Eternal Flame (2023) - about the life and murder of democracy activist Parvaneh Forouhar, which was screened at the first edition of 3 Days to Liberation in the presence of Parvaneh's daughter, Parastou Forouhar.

Director Sepehr Atefi will be present at the screening and will take part in the subsequent panel discussion.

42 min.

Film: Farsi with English dubbing

Available here: KOMBITICKET SAMSTAG IM GRÜNEN SALON: 13 € / reduced 10 € / valid for both events in the Grüner Salon on Saturday, 13.12.: Women Who Said No (film) at 14:30 and Gegen Gewalt (panel) at 16:00

Part of the program of:
3 DAYS TO LIBERATION II
(statement and program)
December 12-14, 2025
Conceived & curated by Maryam Palizban
Presented by CONSTANZA MACRAS / DORKY PARK

Price information:

Available here: KOMBITICKET SAMSTAG IM GRÜNEN SALON: € 13 / reduced € 10 / valid for both events in the Grüner Salon on Saturday, December 13: Women Who Said No (film) at 14:30 and Gegen Gewalt (panel) at 16:00