Jamilia Film Difficulty Ranking: 3
Jamilia is for all women living in patriarchal societies (therefore pretty much all societies) around the world. You’ll get to hear from a number of Kyrgyz women, young and old, married and single, that are hoping for a freer future.
From: Kyrgyzstan, Asia
Watch: Trailer, Rent on Amazon
Next: Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania, Liyana, Freedom Fields
The Breakdown
Jamilia starts with a grainy shot of yellow field. A couple of women start talking over the images on screen about the story of Jamila, a character in the equally named Kyrgyz novel. In the story, Jamila is married to a man she doesn’t love. Her husband goes off to war and whilst he is fighting, she falls in love with another man and runs off with him.
The story is recounted fondly by the women talking off screen. They think of her as a strong woman that chooses to fight for love and a better life (one that she chooses). After we hear from the women in the opening, the film turns to video footage of different Kyrgyz women. The camera focuses on a different woman every few minutes going about everyday tasks. It’s merely observing them, rather than obviously intervening with their lives. Whilst the camera shows the footage of a particular woman, what is (presumably) the same woman talks off screen about life as a woman in Kyrgyzstan and what she thinks about Jamila.
The disconnect between the footage and narration separates the women’s body from their voices. In a way, it’s as if their words are freed from their body, which is something that conforms to the patriarchal society they live in. By separating the woman’s voice from the images of her body, the film also disguises the subjects – is the voice we hear the voice of the woman on screen, or are they unrelated? The lack of certainty offers a disguise for the woman’s visual identity in the same way hidden camera TV shows might blur out the faces of non-actors who haven’t given them permission to show their face.
The Graininess of the film
It’s hard not to notice the graininess of this film. It’s shot on highly saturated super-8 film. At times, the film looks like a moving impressionist painting, as if the women on screen are from years ago and the voices off screen are speaking of a past which is also a long time ago. It’s a ploy to make what they are saying (speaking of how their husbands kidnapped them) appear even more out of touch with the present (i.e. these things shouldn’t be happening in this day and age).
The graininess also blurs the outline of their bodies, as well as the features of their faces. Just as the bodies and voices are separate and not in sync, the blurred bodies on screen put more distance between the voices we hear and the images we see. We can’t discern too much from the images because of the high saturation and graininess, therefore we are forced to pay more attention to what we hear: the women’s voices, which is exactly what the director wants to do.
What to Watch Next
If you’re looking for something stylistically similar, check out Jonas Mekas. His avant-garde diary films contain a lot of grainy footage complemented by voice-over narration, much like in Jamilia. Start with Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania and Lost Lost Lost.
For another documentary which uses fiction and myths to empower people, check out Liyana from eSwatini. The school children in Liyana create myths to express themselves and create hope for a better future, similar to the women in Jamilia.
Or if you’re after an active documentary about women fighting the patriarchy, check out Freedom Fields. Instead of hope for a better future, the Libyan women’s football team in Freedom Fields try to grasp it.
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