Evren Celimli '89

Screening: Sunday, 12:30 p.m., followed by Q&A with the filmmakers

Susan Retik and Patti Quigley are two ordinary soccer moms living in the affluent suburbs of Boston until tragedy strikes. Rather than turning inwards, grief compels these women to focus on the country where the terrorists who took their husbands' lives were trained: Afghanistan. Over the course of two years, as they cope with loss and struggle to raise their families as single mothers, these extraordinary women dedicate themselves to empowering Afghan widows whose lives have been ravaged by decades of war, poverty and oppression - factors they consider to be the root causes of terrorism. As Susan and Patti make the courageous journey from their comfortable neighborhoods to the most desperate Afghan villages, they discover a powerful bond with each other, an unlikely kinship with widows halfway around the world, and a profound way to move beyond tragedy. From the ruins of the World Trade Center to those of Kabul and back, theirs is a journey of personal strength and international reconciliation, and a testament to the vision that peace can be forged... one woman at a time.

Filmmaker bio:

Evren Celimli '89 is a composer who collaborates with avant-garde theater directors, choreographers and filmmakers. He was commissioned by Commonwealth to compose a new choral piece, "The Mermaid," for the 50th anniversary gala last year. The performance was very meaningful to him, the way circles are meaningful. His music has been heard in theaters and concert halls throughout the U.S. and Europe. The feature-length documentary, Beyond Belief, premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival.