Woineshet Zebene was 13 when she was kidnapped, beaten and raped by four men in her small village in Ethiopia. She was attacked a second time by the group’s leader and was nearly forced to become his wife.

Woineshet fought back against her rapist, becoming an inspiration to women in Ethiopia and the world. She tells her story in Woineshet, a new film co-directed by Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone that debuts at Springfield’s ShowPlace West 12 on March 4 in honor of International Women’s Day.

The film’s screening is part of “Half the Sky LIVE,” a one-night-only broadcast event that also includes special musical performances and celebrity appearances. It was inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s “Half the Sky,” a New York Times bestseller that shares stories of women facing sex trafficking, maternal mortality and violence.

“Half the Sky LIVE” begins at 7:30 p.m., March 4 at ShowPlace West 12. Purchase tickets at the theatre or at www.halftheskylive.com. Thirty percent of the proceeds go to CARE, a worldwide humanitarian organization that fights global poverty.