External Link External Link

Northern Iraq's first lingerie store not only sells underwear, but also acts as a meeting place where women connect to their bodies and sensuality after overcoming the traumas of oppression, war, and conservative morality. With brave honesty a group of Kurdish and Yazidi women chat candidly, revealing the challenges they face in a male-dominated society.

Synopsis

Northern Iraq's first lingerie store not only sells underwear, but also acts as a meeting place where women connect to their bodies and sensuality after overcoming the traumas of oppression, war, and conservative morality. The store is in Suleimaniyah, a city in the Kurdish Autonomous Region of Iraq, where the male management of the mall state: “A billboard of a woman in lingerie is not possible - a woman in a bra and thong but without a head, maybe.” Yet the women in Up to G-Cup are open with each other and the camera. Director Jacqueline van Vugt captures intimate stories about love, sex, shame, and war.

“Women, girls - all their decisions have to be approved by the family. You can’t choose your own husband. Our culture doesn’t allow us to follow our hearts, your heart has to stay hidden.”

- Shyaw, Film Participant, Up to G-Cup

We do not want the cost of entry to be a barrier for participation in the festival. If the price of buying a ticket to this film would prevent you from participating, please email the following address (filmticket@hrw.org) + you will receive an auto-reply email with a free ticket code. We have set aside a set # of tickets per film on a first come first-served basis. Once the free tickets are no longer available, the code will no longer work. For anyone that purchases a ticket, we appreciate your support. Your ticket purchase enables us to make tickets free for those who might otherwise be unable to watch. This also allows the festival to support the filmmakers for sharing their work in our festival and for the festival to cover the cost of hosting the films online.

Media Gallery

Image of Muslim woman in lingerie shop in Iraq holding up bright pink pair of underwear and a bra
Photo Credit: Jacqueline van Vugt
Photo of women chatting in a Lingerie store, one with a hijab and other in green tshirt standing in front of display of underwear.
Photo Credit: Jacqueline van Vugt

“It is my dream that one day in Kurdistan too, lingerie will be seen like other clothes and no longer be a taboo subject.”

- Shapol, Film Participant, Up to G-Cup

Learn more about HRW's work on Women's Rights
July 6, 2023
Kurdistan Region of Iraq: LGBT Rights Group Shuttered
April 22, 2020
Iraq: Urgent Need for Domestic Violence Law

Credits

Jacqueline van Vugt

Director and Producer
Woman with short brown hair smiling at camera, wearing blue tshirt

Jacqueline van Vugt studied architecture at TU Delft followed by camera at the Dutch Film and Television Academy in 1991. She graduated as Director of Photography with the award-winning documentary 'Snow White', directed by Jelka Anhalt (1995). Ever since she has developed her own films in addition to her work for National television as a cinematographer or director of various short fiction and documentary-series.

In 1995 Jacqueline van Vugt directed and produced her first independent documentary with her company Melief Film; 'KPL 70-11-12-078' (16 mm) on Dutch soldiers in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Dutch National Television VPRO bought the film. Her next film was the feature length documentary 'Ofrenda de Primavera' produced by JURA Film in 1998. Awards for the film include amongst others the Amsterdam Arts Foundation Talent Award.
For her documentary 'Two Loves' (2001), on Bosie, the poet and boyfriend of Oscar Wilde, she won a Dutch Academy Award. Her short fiction 'Tomorrow' won Best Short at the Mannheim-Heidelberg Festival. 'Toda una Vida' and 'Bambara Blues' were her next feature-length documentaries. With her company Melief Film, Jacqueline van Vugt independently produced and filmed the documentary 'Mama don’t like no guitar pickers ‘round here', released by Cinema Delicatessen for cinema. Her documentary 'BORDERS' was produced by PVH-film. And directed and filmed by Jacqueline herself. Cinema Delicatessen released the film. 'BORDERS' has won several awards including FIPRESCI Award 2014, Krakow International Festival. It was especially mentioned for the camerawork with the CIVIS and SIMA-awards. Apart from directing and shooting the artists portraits of Toon Verhoef and Cornelius Rogge for the Dutch Masters, INTERAKT, she directed and filmed the documentary 'Refuge', produced in cooperation with Rosan Boersma from CTM/Nuts and Bolts, in 2017-2018. With her documentary 'Up to G-Cup', 2020-2021 which she shot in Northern Iraq Jacqueline has won the Dutch Filmcritics Award, KNF.

Jacqueline van Vugt now shot her first feature film 'CROSSING' with producer Revolver Film in co-production with A Private View Belgium and Nukleus Film Kroatia.

Germen Boelens

Producer
Man with light hair and beard looking at camera, wearing green sweater

Revolver Film produces and co-produces feature films, documentaries and hybrid media projects for an international audience. Our focus is strongly on daring and contemporary films with social relevance, both with upcoming and established directing talent. We are based in The Netherlands but work on projects across Europe, the US, Latin America and Asia.

We are proud to present our recent releases the documentary 'Up to G-Cup' (KNF 2021 Award (Press Critic Award) Netherlands Film Festival 2021) by Jacqueline van Vugt and 'Eami, La memoria de la monte' (Tiger Award International Film Festival Rotterdam 2022) by Paz Encina.

Recent titles include also 'I Dream in Another Language' by Ernesto Contreras (Sundance Film Festival in Competition, winner of the Sundance Audience Award 2017, Best Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography amongst others at the Ariel Mexican Academy Awards 2018. The film is to be distributed to the Netherlands by Contact Film. Sales by Mundial, USA).
'Bruce Lee and the Outlaw' by Joost Vandebrug (Best World Documentary Award at Busan International Film Festival 2019, International TRT Award, SOS- Kinderdorfer Award at Munich International Documentary Festival, winner of Best Debut Film at the Nederlandse Film Festival. Sales by Taskovski Films, UK).
'Bodkin Ras' by Kaweh Modiri (Official Selection at SXSW 2016, two FIPRESCI Awards from IFFR & Viennale. Sales Shoreline Entertainment, USA).
'Love & Friendship' by Whit Stillman, starring Kate Beckingsale and Chloë Sevigny (Premiere at Sundance 2016. Sales Protagonist Pictures, UK, sold to Amazon Studios, released by Roadside Attractions, US ).
The documentary 'Too Beautiful, Our Right to Fight' by Maceo Frost ( Premiere at Sheffield Doc Fest 2018, Sales Cargo Sales and Releasing).

Earlier productions include 'Supernova' by Tamar van den Dop (premiere at Berlinale in 2014, Chicago IFF, Grand Prix Xining International Film Festival, Royal Bengal Tiger Award, Kolkata IFF), 'Club Zeus' by David Verbeek (premiere at IFF Rotterdam, the ‘Return of the Tiger' Award; Montreal World Film Festival, IFF Chicago) and documentary 'Crips, Strapped’n’Strong' by Joost van der Valk (premiere at Locarno, in competition at IDFA).

Revolver has also co-produced a slate of international films, including 'Don’t Swallow My Heart, Alligator Girl!' by Felipe Braganca (Sundance Film Festival in Competition, in Competition at Berlinale Generation 2017. Sales Mundial, USA), 'They Have Escaped' by J-P Valkeapää (Venice 2014, Toronto 2014), 'Drift' by Benny Vandendriesche (Premiere at Busan IFF 2013, FIPRESCI Award 2013), 'Lotus' by Pascale Simons (Dutch Filmfestival 2011), '22 May' by Koen Mortier (competition Toronto 2010; FF Rotterdam, IFF Istanbul), 'Vivere' by Angelina Maccarone (competition Tribeca 2006).
Also 'Broeders' [Brothers] (Gifoni Award Italy 2018 ) and 'Gelukzoekers' [Fortune Seekers] (MovieSquad Award Netherlands Film Festival 2018), both by Golden Bear winner Hanro Smitsman, the Emmy Award nominated 'Dede: Mehmet with the yellow boots' by Tamara Miranda and 'Vrije Vogel' [Free as a Bird] by Joyce van Diepen adds to Revolver's team credits.

Currently Revolver is producing, amongst, others the feature films 'Crossing' by Jacqueline van Vugt, 'The Occupant' by Hugo Keijzer, 'Mandai River' by Michael Sewandono, 'Under the Naked Sky' by Lilian Sijbesma, 'Tinderman' by Jaap van Eijck.

Raymond van der Kaaij

Producer
Black and white photo of man with a cap and facial hair folding arms

Revolver Film produces and co-produces feature films, documentaries and hybrid media projects for an international audience. Our focus is strongly on daring and contemporary films with social relevance, both with upcoming and established directing talent. We are based in The Netherlands but work on projects across Europe, the US, Latin America and Asia.

We are proud to present our recent releases the documentary 'Up to G-Cup' (KNF 2021 Award (Press Critic Award) Netherlands Film Festival 2021) by Jacqueline van Vugt and 'Eami, La memoria de la monte' (Tiger Award International Film Festival Rotterdam 2022) by Paz Encina.

Recent titles include also 'I Dream in Another Language' by Ernesto Contreras (Sundance Film Festival in Competition, winner of the Sundance Audience Award 2017, Best Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography amongst others at the Ariel Mexican Academy Awards 2018. The film is to be distributed to the Netherlands by Contact Film. Sales by Mundial, USA).
'Bruce Lee and the Outlaw' by Joost Vandebrug (Best World Documentary Award at Busan International Film Festival 2019, International TRT Award, SOS- Kinderdorfer Award at Munich International Documentary Festival, winner of Best Debut Film at the Nederlandse Film Festival. Sales by Taskovski Films, UK).
'Bodkin Ras' by Kaweh Modiri (Official Selection at SXSW 2016, two FIPRESCI Awards from IFFR & Viennale. Sales Shoreline Entertainment, USA).
'Love & Friendship' by Whit Stillman, starring Kate Beckingsale and Chloë Sevigny (Premiere at Sundance 2016. Sales Protagonist Pictures, UK, sold to Amazon Studios, released by Roadside Attractions, US ).
The documentary 'Too Beautiful, Our Right to Fight' by Maceo Frost ( Premiere at Sheffield Doc Fest 2018, Sales Cargo Sales and Releasing).

Earlier productions include 'Supernova' by Tamar van den Dop (premiere at Berlinale in 2014, Chicago IFF, Grand Prix Xining International Film Festival, Royal Bengal Tiger Award, Kolkata IFF), 'Club Zeus' by David Verbeek (premiere at IFF Rotterdam, the ‘Return of the Tiger' Award; Montreal World Film Festival, IFF Chicago) and documentary 'Crips, Strapped’n’Strong' by Joost van der Valk (premiere at Locarno, in competition at IDFA).

Revolver has also co-produced a slate of international films, including 'Don’t Swallow My Heart, Alligator Girl!' by Felipe Braganca (Sundance Film Festival in Competition, in Competition at Berlinale Generation 2017. Sales Mundial, USA), 'They Have Escaped' by J-P Valkeapää (Venice 2014, Toronto 2014), 'Drift' by Benny Vandendriesche (Premiere at Busan IFF 2013, FIPRESCI Award 2013), 'Lotus' by Pascale Simons (Dutch Filmfestival 2011), '22 May' by Koen Mortier (competition Toronto 2010; FF Rotterdam, IFF Istanbul), 'Vivere' by Angelina Maccarone (competition Tribeca 2006).
Also 'Broeders' [Brothers] (Gifoni Award Italy 2018 ) and 'Gelukzoekers' [Fortune Seekers] (MovieSquad Award Netherlands Film Festival 2018), both by Golden Bear winner Hanro Smitsman, the Emmy Award nominated 'Dede: Mehmet with the yellow boots' by Tamara Miranda and 'Vrije Vogel' [Free as a Bird] by Joyce van Diepen adds to Revolver's team credits.

Currently Revolver is producing, amongst, others the feature films 'Crossing' by Jacqueline van Vugt, 'The Occupant' by Hugo Keijzer, 'Mandai River' by Michael Sewandono, 'Under the Naked Sky' by Lilian Sijbesma, 'Tinderman' by Jaap van Eijck.