"Osama," a 2003 film directed and written by Afghan filmmaker Siddiq Barmak, will be shown Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 5 p.m. in Coastal Carolina University's Coastal Theater as part of the Middle East Politics Film Series presented by CCU's Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts. The event is free and open to the public.

Winner of the 2003 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, "Osama" tells the story of three generations of Afghan women affected by the advent of the Taliban's rule in their land. In the wake of this new regime, women are forbidden to leave their homes without a boy or a man as accompaniment. With nowhere left to turn, a mother and grandmother disguise Golbahari, a 12-year-old girl, as a boy. Now named Osama, the girl embarks on a terrifying journey as she tries to keep the Taliban from discovering her true identity.

Following the screening, CCU faculty members Aneilya Barnes, associate professor of history, and Virginia Norris, teaching associate of politics, provide cultural and political context on the film. This film is in Persian with English subtitles.

"'Osama' is a powerful film depicting the life of locals, mainly women, after they fall under extremists' rule," said Suheir Daoud, associate professor of politics and organizer of the series. "While the film was made in 2003, it portrays not only oppression but also people's dreams and struggles to change reality."

"By selecting these films," Daoud said of the Middle East Politics Film Series, "I want to shed light on some pressing issues related to the Middle East and its relation to the West. These powerful works provide the audience a unique method to understand some of these issues through film."

The Middle East Politics Film Series will offer screenings of "United States of Hate" on Feb. 20 and "Losing Iraq" on Feb. 27. Both are at 5 p.m. in the Coastal Theater and are free and open to the public.

The Coastal Theater is located in Room A-110 of the Lib Jackson Student Union at 106 Spadoni Park Circle on the CCU main campus in Conway. Parking is available in lots E and MM; visit coastal.edu/safety/parking. For more information about this screening or the Middle East film series, contact Barnes at abarnes@coastal.edu or 843-349-2525. For more cultural events at CCU, including additional film series, visit coastal.edu/culturalarts.