Danielle Beverly spent four years behind a camera in Qatar. Surrounded by young girls in a rhythmic gymnastics school in Doha, Beverly captured on film not just their growth, determination, and athletic prowess, but the evolving gendered world around them.
“There has been such a misrepresentation of the Middle East, particularly around the lives of girls and women,” said Beverly, director of Qatar Stars and assistant professor at Northwestern University in the School of Communication, Department of Radio/TV/Film. “I wanted to create a film that dispels some of the misunderstandings, mischaracterizations, and misrepresentations of what it means to be a girl or woman in Qatar.”
Known for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar is a largely Muslim country in Western Asia bordered by Saudia Arabia and the Persian Gulf.
“Qatar Stars is the first feature documentary about girls in Qatar,” added Beverly. “That is significant because the Western world did not know much about Qatar until the World Cup. We largely pay attention to men’s sports, but girls’ sports are often overlooked.”
Since 2015, Beverly has been on a dual appointment with Northwestern University. Every two years she rotates between the campus in Qatar and Evanston. While on a stint in Qatar, Beverly received an email from The Olympic Stars, a startup rhythmic gymnastics school in Doha asking if she had any female students skilled in social media who could help publicize the new business.
Intrigued by the request, Beverly attended a practice and learned more about rhythmic gymnastics, a female-only sport where girls wear makeup and sparkly outfits while manipulating balls, ribbons, hoops, and clubs. The next day she returned with a camera and a vision for her next documentary.
Beverly is known for her longitudinal films, oftentimes filming for 5-10 years at a time for the same documentary. She is a one-person crew.
“It’s just me, my camera, and my sound gear,” she joked.
In 2005, Beverly founded Petunia Productions, an independent documentary film production company. Petunia Productions produces feature observational documentaries.
“Petunias—the flower—are not very fancy,” said Beverly. “But they’re resilient, can grow anywhere, and they come back for more year to year. In a way, they’re kind of like me and the films I create.”
Qatar Stars is Beverly’s most recent documentary. It released in 2023 and has received a variety of recognition from reputable press. The film has also been screened at the University of South Carolina, the DokuBaku International Documentary Film Festival, the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, and the South Georgia Film Festival.
“We couldn’t be more excited to host Danielle Beverly for the 2024 Foxtail Film Festival,” said Dr. Andrew Ventimiglia, director of the Foxtail Film Festival and communication professor in the School of Communication at Illinois State University. “Given that part of the Foxtail’s mission is to bridge local and global concerns through filmmaking, Danielle’s work perfectly reflects the festival’s values.”
Beverly is no stranger to Normal. Her previous documentary, Dusty Groove: The Sound of Transition screened at the historic Normal Theater in August 2021.
“I said yes to the Foxtail Film Festival immediately when I heard it was at the Normal Theater,” said Beverly. “It’s an excellent theater with really wonderful people. I’m very proud to return to Normal.”
Qatar Stars will screen on Thursday, April 25, followed by a short Q&A and reception. Foxtail Film Festival attendees will also have the unique opportunity to attend a workshop with Beverly on creative distribution and exhibition on Friday, April 26.
“As I continue to learn about films, I’m getting more and more excited to see Danielle’s work on Qatar Stars,” said Meghan Smith, student in COM 334: Film Festival Management & Curation and social media intern for the Foxtail Film Festival. “She is going to be a great asset to the festival. I’m interested in not just viewing her professional work but learning from her, too.”
Beverly regularly instructs course work in media construction, women and documentary, one-person crew documentary, and music documentaries. She teaches in the MFA in documentary media program and the undergraduate program.
“As a professor, there’s an expectation that I make films,” Beverly said. “How can I teach if I’m not current in my own creative research? It’s one of the best things about being a professor. The duality of it is rewarding.”
While filming Qatar Stars, Beverly relied on students enrolled at Northwestern University in Qatar to help translate. Working primarily with students from Kazakhstan, they produced crucial transcriptions for the documentary. Beverly also collaborated with former student and now Northwestern colleague, Jawaher AlMoawda, a production specialist teaching camera, sound, and editing.
“For anyone considering attending the screening of Qatar Stars at the Foxtail Film Festival, please do,” said Beverly. “You’ll see a Qatar that has never been seen before. It’s not the World Cup lens the Western world knows. You’ll see real lives, real homes, and a gender self-segregating gym. You’ll see girls from Qatar, Lebanon, Egypt, Ukraine and the UK.”
Beverly promises laughs, but also tears.
“The girls in this story are powerful. I want girls and women to view this film and see themselves on screen in a way that’s recognizable no matter where they’re from,” added Beverly.
The Foxtail Film Festival returns to Normal April 25-28, 2024. The full schedule and lineup will be available soon.
Named after the regional grass that grows in Central Illinois, the Foxtail Film Festival is an annual celebration of up-and-coming filmmakers in the Midwest and around the world. The Foxtail Film Festival is committed to showcasing the best films from high school and university filmmakers while bringing the community together for a unique experience at the historic Normal Theater in Bloomington-Normal. The Foxtail Film Festival is also a uniquely run festival, organized by students from Illinois State University closely involved in every aspect of festival curation and management.
Learn more about the Foxtail Film Festival and follow along on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
