I saw this film last night at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Although it lacks the polish of a Hollywood film, it was compelling, dramatic and beautifully shot. I had thought I knew all about FGM, but I learned some things from the film. I hadn't known, for example, about economic aspects of FGM.

The film uses the activist's testimony from her speeches and writings as a subtle background narration in a dramatization of her life. It follows her as she flees war-torn Somalia and escapes to Ireland, where she is granted asylum as a refugee. Later she returns to Somalia, and this is the most dramatic aspect of the film.

Hundreds of millions of women have had FGM or are at risk. I hope this film is released nationally so that more people will gain an understanding of the issue.