Bologna's CHEAP Festival Posters Amplify Afghan Women's Voices

Throughout October 2022, Bologna's central Via dell'Indipendenza is covered with posters bearing the slogan 'Pane, lavoro e libertà – lo chiedono le donne afghane' (Bread, work, freedom – Afghan women demand it). The public art installation, organized by the CHEAP Festival in collaboration with NGO WeWorld, marks the anniversary of the 'black day' of August 15, 2021, when Kabul fell to the Taliban. The posters highlight the severe restrictions imposed on Afghan women, including bans on perfume, non-religious music, working in public offices, and studying medicine. The installation will be presented to the city on October 6 at 7:30 PM at Cinema Lumière in Piazzetta Pasolini, during the opening of the 16th edition of the Terra di Tutti Film Festival (October 6–11), a social cinema festival co-founded by WeWorld and COSPE in 2007. CHEAP's statement emphasizes that oppression can appear overnight, referencing ongoing protests in Iran triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini. WeWorld president Marco Chiesara noted the work's strong visual impact and its role in promoting dialogue, echoing the cries of women in Kabul. WeWorld supports over 400 female-headed families in Herat, providing food access, and the festival aims to bring attention to issues ignored by mass media.