In
the United States, our society has done a lot for women's
rights over the last century. However, this is hardly the
case in many parts of the world even today. "The Day I Became
A Woman", an Iranian film from first time director Meshkini,
shows us how it is to be a woman in their Islamic society
from three points of view: a child, an adult and an elderly.
It is a thought provoking piece of work about women searching
for their identities in a society based on rigid traditions.
In
the first chapter, we are introduced to Hava, a little girl
on the verge of entering an important phase of her life. She
is about to celebrate her ninth birthday, and according to
social customs, this is when a girl puts on a veil and becomes
a woman. Hava is not too thrilled about the idea since all
she wants right now is to play with her friend Hassan. She
promises her grandmother that if allowed to play, she will
be back before noon, her official birth time. Thus, Hava is
given a stick so that she can place it on the ground and check
its shadow. This would let her know when it's time to head
home. Hava's story sets the tone for the film by showing how
little girls are brought in to fit the traditional role. Out
of the blue, they are expected to have a different mentality
for religious and social reasons. It was heartbreaking watching
Hava as she keeps checking the shadow of a stick, indicating
the end of her childhood.
The
second story revolves around Ahoo, a married woman who takes
part in a beach side bicycle race. Besides competing with
the other cyclists, Ahoo has to contend with men on horseback
trying to persuade her to come home. Bicycles are the devil's
instruments and a woman's place is at home, they say. Her
husband, her father, tribe leaders and her brothers all try
to dissuade her from completing the race, but Ahoo tries to
push on. Although the final scenes of Ahoo's story are powerful
and her persistence admirable, I thought that this chapter
needed a lot more editing. There were just too many repeating
scenes for no other purpose than to fill time. It had a good
message, but a bit too long in its delivery.
In
the third and final chapter, we get to know Hoora, an elderly
woman who travels and seeks out what she has missed all her
life. She takes her inheritance money, goes to a shopping
mall, and buys everything that she has always wanted: a bathtub,
a refrigerator, an elegant sofa to name just a few. It is
obvious that Hoora has gone through a lot in her life, and
she finally sees the day where she is liberated to be herself.
So what does she do? She buys things for a place she can call
her own. We are happy for her, but at the same time we can't
help but think that her freedom came a bit too late. Hoora's
tale is lighthearted, yet bittersweet.
"The
Day I Became A Woman" is a good movie, although I would not
recommend it for everybody. It is slow, despite a runtime
of only 78 minutes. It is not the most plot-driven movie,
but one cannot deny its thought provoking take on women's
status in Iran. The film is too short to be in-depth and deeply
insightful, yet if you're interested in leaving suburbia for
a bit and enjoy a virtual trip to the Middle East, check this
one out.
Mazzyboi
Mazzyboi's
Movie Reviews
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