Lovett to Host Screening of Acclaimed Independent Film, Know My Name

Lovett will host a screening of the acclaimed independent film, Know My Name, on Friday, May 3, at 7:00 pm in the Hendrix-Chenault theater. The film was co-directed by Lovett Alum Kristen Stevens ’91 and her husband, Inan Temelkuran, and is Kristen’s directorial debut.

Kristen moved to Istanbul in 2006 and began working as a senior editor, writer, and columnist at the Turkish Daily News. Through her work she discovered that one in four female athletes in Turkey chooses a fighting sport such as karate or wrestling - and that many of them are winning European and world titles. Learning that these athletes are feared on the international stage but unknown in Turkey, Kristen and her husband decided to make a film exploring the motivations that set girls on this path.

Turkey is considered progressive for women in the Muslim world, yet the Turkish prime minister openly declares that women are unequal to men. More than half of all females in Turkey have been beaten or raped and many are married with kids before age 20. By training in combat sports, young girls create an identity for themselves and build a future. Many are able to attend university and become trainers. And, surprisingly, they are respected for their work at home because they stay disciplined and support their families with modest wrestling salaries.

Know My Name tells the story of these young female fighters through Evin, a petite Kurdish teenager and Turkish champion, who wrestles to support her family of 13. The film follows Evin to camps, tournaments, and championships as she makes a name for herself as an athlete. Evin's story is a tribute to the quiet legion of girls who fight, on and off mats, for an education and self-reliance.

Know My Name was featured at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and has won Best Documentary at the Antalya International Golden Orange Film Festival and Best Editing and Special Jury Prize at the Adana International Golden Boll Film Festival.

To watch a preview of the film, click here: http://www.lovett.org/news/detail.aspx?pageaction=ViewSinglePublic&LinkID=4964&ModuleID=84&NEWSPID=1.