Widad Shafakoj

Widad Shafakoj is a Jordanian humanitarian activist and an award-winning filmmaker who has chosen films as a tool to relay her beliefs and concerns in society. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design and started working on several international and local film sets as a designer, which led her to earning a scholarship diploma in filmmaking. Her directing credits include the award-winning short documentary ID: 000, and the documentary The Last Passenger that exposed the truth behind the Syrian refugees who escaped from Al Zaatari camp in the north of Jordan. This documentary challenged the way the general masses view Syrian refugees, and made a definitive change to their lives. After four years of research, Shafakoj was able to depict one of the topics closest to her heart in her first feature documentary If You Meant to Kill Me that addresses the controversial topic of women who voluntarily turn themselves into prison, often for their protection once faced with threats of murder on count of honor. 17 is her second feature length documentary.