Nature meant to make woman its masterpiece.
-- Lessing.
... And then she changed her mind. Why else would there be women's liberation movements all over the world? Liberation from what? From their own blindness, I hope. Women are their greatest enemies. How many of them realise their life-giving power? Those who do, change the world for the better.
Samira Makhmalbaf for instance. A Persian Beauty who wafts in like a gentle breeze, taking the world by storm with her original expressions through movies. She is 24. But making a difference. Not by shouting herself hoarse about liberation. But by creating masterpieces reflecting her natural feminine sensitivity. Not by bold fashion statements of superstars (inversely proportional to the amount of clothing on the body). But by creating gentle poetry on screen.
In the religious extremism of Iran, there blooms Samira. Beautiful is the picture of her, with her head scarf, accepting her prize at the Cannes with a feminine dignity rarely seen nowadays.
"In Blackboards, I took aged people, people from villagers who know nothing of cinema. You have to have a lot of confidence, otherwise it comes through to the camera. People are often clever, they don't share their secrets easily but if you open your heart, they reciprocate. I choose everything in my films, from costumes to the colour and tenor of the film. We are closer to reality in our films but it is not a realist cinema, or necessarily the truth because truth can have many angles to it."
"I do not think myself as a Muslim woman. However, my aim always has been not to be just a wife of a good man. I have a big desire to be known. I am not a very knowledgeable person. It is just that I started very young."
(in an interview to The Hindu)
I watched her movie "At five in the afternoon" a few months back (on a bad quality CD) A visual poetry on Post-Taliban-Afghanistan - the impossibility of religious extremism that has pervaded everyone's veins, including the repressed women's. Nogreh, the protagonist, on her way to school swaps her worn shoes for white high heels (an oft quoted scene.) As the film progresses mercilessly, she realises the hopelessness of it all - that the high heels don't signify freedom. That she is a victim until she chooses to be one.
Did her burkah prevent Samira from creating masterpieces? Why is so much importance attached to mere symbols? How can mere renunciation of symbols (like head scarfs) signify woman's liberation?
Christina Aguilera screams in the loudspeakers,
... This is for my girls all around the world
Who've come across a man who don't respect your worth
Thinking all women should be seen, not heard
So what do we do girls?
Shout louder!
If you look back in history
It's a common double standard of society
The guy gets all the glory the more he can score
While the girl can do the same and yet you call her a whore...
And of course, she bares her ass, to indicate her freedom - another symbolism!
Promiscuity has become synonymous with Freedom/Liberation. Lets hope that more flowers like Samira bloom in this quagmire without being sucked in...
Samira Makhmalbaf for instance. A Persian Beauty who wafts in like a gentle breeze, taking the world by storm with her original expressions through movies. She is 24. But making a difference. Not by shouting herself hoarse about liberation. But by creating masterpieces reflecting her natural feminine sensitivity. Not by bold fashion statements of superstars (inversely proportional to the amount of clothing on the body). But by creating gentle poetry on screen.
In the religious extremism of Iran, there blooms Samira. Beautiful is the picture of her, with her head scarf, accepting her prize at the Cannes with a feminine dignity rarely seen nowadays.
"In Blackboards, I took aged people, people from villagers who know nothing of cinema. You have to have a lot of confidence, otherwise it comes through to the camera. People are often clever, they don't share their secrets easily but if you open your heart, they reciprocate. I choose everything in my films, from costumes to the colour and tenor of the film. We are closer to reality in our films but it is not a realist cinema, or necessarily the truth because truth can have many angles to it."
"I do not think myself as a Muslim woman. However, my aim always has been not to be just a wife of a good man. I have a big desire to be known. I am not a very knowledgeable person. It is just that I started very young."
(in an interview to The Hindu)
I watched her movie "At five in the afternoon" a few months back (on a bad quality CD) A visual poetry on Post-Taliban-Afghanistan - the impossibility of religious extremism that has pervaded everyone's veins, including the repressed women's. Nogreh, the protagonist, on her way to school swaps her worn shoes for white high heels (an oft quoted scene.) As the film progresses mercilessly, she realises the hopelessness of it all - that the high heels don't signify freedom. That she is a victim until she chooses to be one.
Did her burkah prevent Samira from creating masterpieces? Why is so much importance attached to mere symbols? How can mere renunciation of symbols (like head scarfs) signify woman's liberation?
Christina Aguilera screams in the loudspeakers,
... This is for my girls all around the world
Who've come across a man who don't respect your worth
Thinking all women should be seen, not heard
So what do we do girls?
Shout louder!
If you look back in history
It's a common double standard of society
The guy gets all the glory the more he can score
While the girl can do the same and yet you call her a whore...
And of course, she bares her ass, to indicate her freedom - another symbolism!
Promiscuity has become synonymous with Freedom/Liberation. Lets hope that more flowers like Samira bloom in this quagmire without being sucked in...
Meera @ 7:18 PM| permalink
4 Comments:
Great blog!
Thank you, Sean.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I love this post.
Very insightful. A refreshing point of departure.
Looking forward to more like this.
:)
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