"The Day I Became a Woman" - directed by Marziyeh Meshkini

03.20 - Posted by Editor

Marziyeh Meshkini's "The Day I Became a Woman" Three stories of Islamic women   Iran 2000, 78 minutes, A Shooting Gallery Release   Review by Kevin Feng Ke

3.20.01 -- Once in a while a film radiates such clarity, simplicity and profundity that everything falls into a wholesome, winning package. A striking first feature by Marziyeh Meshkini, an assistant director to her husband Mohsen Makhmalbaf and daughter Samira Makhmalbaf, whose films are landmarks in recent Iranian cinema ("The Silence," "Tales of Kish," "The Apple," "Blackboards"), "The Day I Become A Woman" marks the arrival of another world class talent from a family that's quickly becoming a film industry dynasty. Links Respond to this review by posting your comments below!   Screening in New York City New Directors/New Films Series Museum of Modern Art 3/24 Sat. 6:00PM 3/25 Sun 4:00PM        "The Day I Became a Woman" consists of three allegorical short stories that symbolically cover the lifespan of a woman in Islamic society: from a girl to a young wife, then to a woman in her twilight years. Instead of being short film exercises, the films conclude with a reunion that ties up all the loose ends, much like Kieslowski's "Three Colors" trilogy. All the characters are brought back to make a powerful commentary on the status of women in a male-dominated society.     The first story follows an innocent nine-year old girl who tries hard to be accepted into a circle of boys. Just as she builds a playful bond with the neighborhood boys, she's pulled away by her mother to become a chador-clad woman. The second story is a fable-like tale played out between a wife on a bicycle and men on horseback. As the wife leaves her married life to be a divorcee, her husband, in-laws, brothers, tribal elder, and local religious leader all come chasing after her, trying to persuade her to change her mind. The last story involves an amnesic senior who suddenly strikes it rich and hires an army of street kids to transport her most precious possessions: a fridge, a washer-drier, a stove, a bathtub, etcetera, enough for a young woman's dowry. As she unloads all the household appliances and electronics on an empty beach, she creates an absurd paradise without a roof but cannot figure out the last missing element in her life.     With a keen eye for detail, the film is full of thought-provoking images that reflect the filmmaker's philosophical thinking. The strategic placement of water and ocean within the frame perhaps serves as a metaphor for the drowning silent mass of Islamic women. With a blend of minimalism, formalism and absurdity, the film so resonates with aesthetic pleasure that it will take your breath away. As one of the repeated images suggests, the road to liberty and independence for Iranian woman is an endless, solitary stretch that could go in circles and could end abruptly. Liberty is an exile indeed.   A filmmaker himself, Kevin Feng Ke also serves as correspondent for Chinese version of Screen International Magazine and Chinese Central Television Network (CCTV) Movie Channel's World Cinema Report series. He can be reached at kevinthedirector@hotmail.com   Comments Post a comment Name: Email Address: URL: Comments: Remember info?