the policy issues around the lack of access to water , unequal distribution amongst Palestinians and Israelis , or the role of both sides of government in this water crisis .
Instead , it is solely a reflection of the girls ’ day-to-day , and the prejudice that continues to exist towards them both as Palestinians and as women .
Yet Women of Refaiya doesn ’ t paint the El- Amur girls as victims . Quite the contrary , these girls are shown as having agency — as strong and resilient young women with dreams and desires for their lives , and with their own voice .
For example , we learn from 14-year-old Ayat that she loves to paint , write , and listen to songs in English and Arabic . From 16-year-old Samah we learn that she loves to dance . “ I can ’ t tell their story like they can ,” Shavit says .
Placing women as the central focus of the film was a conscious decision on behalf of Shavit , who believes women ’ s and girls ’ voices must be heard more . This also translated into his decision to have a woman as a prominent part of his film crew throughout the filming .
“ I ’ m thrilled to document and work with women because their stories are rarely told and therefore more relevant and powerful ,” he says . “ I can only hope that the world is headed in that direction of progress .”
Yael Heiblum was born in Miami and raised in Mexico City by a Mexican-Polish father and a Peruvian-Turkish mother . She graduated cum laude from New York University ’ s Gallatin School of Individualized Study , bringing together philosophy , cultural anthropology , and human rights through writing and photography . She is a recipient of the Maria Elena ’ s Scholarship from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists , and seeks to break cultural boundaries to foster a greater sense of human dignity by giving a voice to unheard stories .
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