St. John Armenian Church is hosting a Bay Area premiere screening of the documentary film, “Bavakan” on Saturday, February 15, 2014, 6:30pm. Filmmaker Adrineh Gregorian highlights the issue of gender selective abortions in Armenian, their reasons and prevalence. Screening will be followed by a discussion with director Adrineh Gregorian. The film’s runtime is 40 min. and is in Armenian with English subtitles.

"BAVAKAN explores a reality in Armenia through the stories of four women and the pressures they have faced to have abortions based on the gender of their unborn child. Armenia’s alarmingly high rate of gender selection abortions is a direct reflection of the absence of choice women have over what’s done to their own bodies. The termination of pregnancies based on gender alone is second only to China. BAVAKAN is the story that women in Armenian face each day, but cultural norms keep them muted. This film is the first step in breaking their silence." – A Synopsis of Bavakan

This film may not be suitable for children under 13.

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