Watch Films By Women in the Muslim World
http://womensvoicesnow.org/watch These films reinforce themes in Half the Sky. If you want to use any of these films as evidence to support your claims, feel free to do so. We'll have to talk about how to cite multimedia sources.
Thursday, March 10, we will individually watch a film to inform our freewrite. Bring headphones to class.
Today we met in Lit Circles and discussed Half the Sky and topics students were considering as an essay topic. We also reviewed writing outlines. I gave students a handout a few weeks ago with bubbles for mapping and a form for developing an outline.
The essay is due Tuesday, March 15. If students are not going to Sacramento, bring drafts of this essay to class. Monday we will meet in A-232 and also on Tuesday for the peer review using Microsoft Comment.
http://womensvoicesnow.org/watch These films reinforce themes in Half the Sky. If you want to use any of these films as evidence to support your claims, feel free to do so. We'll have to talk about how to cite multimedia sources.
Thursday, March 10, we will individually watch a film to inform our freewrite. Bring headphones to class.
Today we met in Lit Circles and discussed Half the Sky and topics students were considering as an essay topic. We also reviewed writing outlines. I gave students a handout a few weeks ago with bubbles for mapping and a form for developing an outline.
The essay is due Tuesday, March 15. If students are not going to Sacramento, bring drafts of this essay to class. Monday we will meet in A-232 and also on Tuesday for the peer review using Microsoft Comment.
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 3:48 PM
34 Comments:
Ronald Parker
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8:850
10 March 2011
Film Responses:
Women In Hell
A lady living in Iran described her living conditions terrible. in their society women were considered nothing to men. men were able to do as they please and had a real intresting and easy living. women in the society would have to live off small amounts of money a month, and must do sexual favors for their bosses if they want. if a woman does not they can be fired or beaten. it also isnt likely for a women to have a boyfriend because if they do the other men would beat on the lady also. these women in iran want to move away to a different country in order to have a new life. A life with where females can have the same oppurtunities as a man in order to share the experience of a nice life.
Cody Henneman
professor Sabir
Englsih 1A 8:00- 8:50am
10 March 2011
Response: "The Branded Girls"
The sort film "The Branded Girls" examines and portrays the lives of women in three different countries. the first one being Bangladesh, where the 10% of the GNP of the entire nation is from the garment industry. Women and children dominate the work force in these industries only with numbers. they are in fact extremely oppressed. After an 8 hour shift, these women and children have 2 hours of break to go home, cook for their families and then go back to work for another 8 hour shift. The children in these factories do not get to study or go to school because they are always at work and they do not get a holiday, or a day off. They work 7 days a week and some girls have 3 shifts a day! Amongst all of this, the workers are paid very little. They are even paid below minimum wage of their region. Also they are promised hours, however, they promised hours are much less than they actually work. Factories in one country are supposed to close at 2AM but the women and children work until 3AM or 4AM. When the women are walking home, they are often attacked by their directors or managers. Sexual abuse is high in the factories, and their is no protection from it.
I thought that most of the atrocities that occur in these factories are horrible and should be stopped. Outsourcing is a horrible practice that many American companies partake in. I think that making clothes a little more expenses is worth giving the workers a bit more money. Living off of $25-$40 dollars a month is not satisfactory. It is inhumane and should not be kept in practice.
Tyler Mecozzi
Professor Sabir
English 1a 8a.m.
10 March 2011
Sunglasses is about a woman who is fully covered by what appears to be a blue sheet. She is married to a man who makes her wear this sheet. When the woman goes to pick up the picture of her and her husband, it only shows her husband and this blue sheet. You cannot tell who the woman is, if she even is a woman.
When she leaves the store, she sees women wearing sunglasses with only a head scarf covering most of their hair. She envies their freedom and goes to the sunglasses shop to buy a pair. At home, she puts on make up and her sunglasses with a veil and looks beautiful. The husband however, does not approve and makes her wear the blue sheet out when she is in public.
The movie conveyed the importance of covering the face of women in some countries. It is part of their culture and seen as respect towards the man. These women can be liberated if they empower themselves through micro-financing or entrepreneurship. If these women make more income then the man of the house, like the women in Half the Sky, the man loses power and say in family decisions, therefore freeing the women of any previous restrictions.
Theodore Lionberger
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8:850
10 March 2011
Film Response:
Sunglasses
The short, silent film Sunglasses is a brief, symbolic representation of the stifling of women's freedom of expression in Afghanistan. A woman in full veil sees women in the streets in sunglasses and full makeup. She buys her own pair, takes it home, and applies her own makeup and tries on the sunglasses in the mirror. As she finishes, a man enters and looks upon her sternly. In the final shot, they are outside together; she is in full veil once again, and he is wearing her new sunglasses.
The film is highly impressionistic. There are many ways we could interpret its sequence of events. I took it to show how the efforts of Afghan women to freely express themselves are met with opposition not only from without the family unit but from within.
Cherefah Obad
March 10, 2011
English 1A
Comment on Womens Voice:
"In the Morning"
To be honest i did not think that what i was going to see would be anything new. I mean, Yes every country has their different views on honor killings and what not, But from where my mom and dad come from, There arent many honor killings that we know of. In the short film "Im the Morning", The story was about a girl that was raped and her family decided that, becuase their "honor" needed to be restored, they must kill her., Also known as "the beast!". People like them have no honor in my opinion. They think by killing their daughters and cousins, that they're honor would be restored. Maybe they think that thats true, But to me, I completely disagree. But that's just my opinion.
And for the record:..There's no such thing of a "lesbian Muslim"...Its not a fact. Rather an opinion.The quran tells all!
Marcella Miles
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
10 March 2011
I watched Breaking the Silence, a nominee for the Women’s Voices Now Film Festival. It profiles Akhdam women in Yemen. It focuses on the injustices they experience living as servants. They are not considered Arabs despite their devotion to their culture and religion along with the labor they provide for nothing. They do hard labor and are constantly beaten. They can’t get water without having to face someone’s wrath or anger towards them. They are referred to as Khadamas, meaning no value. They want schooling, decent homes, and overall to be considered a human being as opposed to nothing.
I think the video had an effective way of voicing out the cries of these women living in such deep poverty. I was stunned at how they were capable of living this way. What was even more enraging was that they could not be poor in peace. They had to deal with mockery, threats, and actual acts of violence. This was shocking to see.
It's one thing to read a about the horrific mistreatment of women, but it's another to actually hear their voices. Women in Yemen who work everyday, sweeping the ground floor are harassed several times a week along with their families. One girl's brother was stabbed, but I'm sure he wasn't the only one.
Jonathan Abordo
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
I watched the short film called Tabu. The opening scene of a bald headed man getting the word "tabu" tattooed immediately caught my attention. The film continued to creatively show things this woman did that are frowned upon. The first scene was displaying prostitution. The woman was on the bed and her nightstand had candles and a picture of shirtless man. Next it showed the feet of many men walking in to where the woman was. I thought the use of shadows added to the theme of the film. After the night, the woman wakes up, turns off her alarm and you can see her clearly as she puts on her clothes. Overall a great film with a strong message.
Emmily Manown
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-950am
10 March 2011
Film Response:
The first filmed i watched being the "Trafficked" video. It was very sad and hard to watch. at the same time it was nice to see these woman not have to go through the actual act of being captured, sold, and trafficked. But from looking in their eyes, they give off a look of torment. I think it is very sad that things like this are even happening today in this world. Another video i watched was the one about the lesbian Muslim. I can not believe that being gay would go against religion. it is sad that people can not be who they are because of a fear of being disliked for what you are. No one should be ashamed of what or who they are.
Erin Callahan
March 10th 2011
English 1A 8-8:50
Women's Voice
The short film we watched today was called "In the Morning". It was about a young Turkish woman who gets raped and dishonors her family.
The film is very tense, with graphic scenes. The movie jumps back and forth between the rape scene and a few older men discussing how they were going to "kill the beast". None of them want to go to jail so they decide to tell the youngest boy (the brother of the young girl) to "kill the beast". The Family has been shamed as a result of the rape and the "beast" must be killed.
There is a very surprising, very sad twist at the end. Watch to find out!
Jeffrey to
professor Sabir
Englsih 1A 8:00- 8:50am
10 March 2011
In the video Muslim , a young muslim woman:Christina comes out of the closet. In the beginning she hid her sexuality because of her religion of the Koran which fobid homosexuality in Islam. She found it hard to come out of the closet and be open about her sexuality because of her religion and traditions. At the age of 13 she came to light of her sexuality. At the age of 27 she converted to Islam but cold not tell everyone of her sexuality because of what others might think or judge her place in her religion. She found a small group of women who are islamic and homosexual but are too scared to come out. She believes if she has a voice to speak up than others who are like her will come out of the closet too.
Aftet watching the video, i find it hard to believe their is a such thing as a homosexual muslim. I knew the Muslim community are very traditional and religious. After reading Half the Sky, i think she will be harm or scared to com e out because people might hurt her and believe she is anti- islamic. I find her video inspiring.
Adalie Villalobos
Professor Sabir
English 1A
10 March 2011
Film Response:
"The Journey"
This film is very sad to watch becuase I began to imagine all of the young women that were taking to brothels in the book Half the Sky. It horrible that these young girls are taken from their homes, some of them thinking it is to make money for their family or to live a better life, only to go to being beaten and raped. The young girl in this film faces something that many of the girls taken to brothels face, they will not trust anyone when they are taken out. Unfortunately, some of the girls saved from a brothel go back but some are strong enough to stay out and be with their family. There are a lot of young girls saved and taken to brothels everyday, hopefully it will end soon.
Adrieanna Williams
Professor Sabir
English 1A/8 o'clock
10 March 2011
Film Response:Muslim Q
In this film a woman named Christina talks about her journey to becoming a muslim woman and her experience of coming out to the muslim community as bisexual. Christian has known she was bisexual since third grade but she didn't come out until she was 21. At the age of 27 she converted to Islam. She experesses how she fell in love with the culture,tradition, and community. She felt that this was the fist time she felt a connection with God.Christina's experience with coming out was positive. Her friend Selma believed it was positive because she lives in New York wich is very tolerant towards the LGTB community. Christina believes that Islam doesn't have to be an obsticle to create your identity.
Julie Phoukeo
Professor Sabir
English1A 8AM
March 10, 2011
Free write- Film
In the short film, “In the Morning” is about a young Turkish girl who was raped at sixteen years old. The rape brings shame to the family so the father does the honor killing that will make the family come to peace. He does not want to worry about people talking about the family or put them down. The father wants his son, Baran, who is thirteen years old to kill the beast which as known as the sister. So Baran end up killing his sister to restore the family honoring. At the time of the killing she was six months pregnant and it was based on a true story in 2003.
Zinaida Dzhilavdaryan
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1 A
10 March 20111
Film Response
“For Sogand”
The main goal of the Women’s Voices from the Muslim World is to give the voice to women form Muslin World to fight for their rights. The organization was founded in January 2010.
The Short-Film Festival is taking place in Hollywood. Short films are about women from different Muslin countries trying to transform their communities and to addressed the international audience. I watched the movie called “For Sogand” by Mostafa Shaban. This documentary is telling the story of young woman, a single mother of two girls form Iran. She works as a welder. She has to climb the height industrial buildings and do all the work that usually only men do. It is amazing how a small very feminine and grace woman can be so strong. She was married but her husband was a drug addict and left her. Now she is trying to do everything to provide the good life for her two children. But people criticize her a lot for doing the men’s work. Even her family is making fun of her. And it is the most difficult for her. The movie is showing that women can be at the same level with men. The society is not tolerant to these women. So they have to fight for their rights, for opportunity to protect their families.
Mahmood Kohgadai
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
10 March 2011
It's one thing to read about the horrific mistreatment of women, but it's another to actually hear their voices. Women in yemen who work, sweeping the ground floor are harrassed several times a week along with their families. One man who was the brother of one of the girls was stabbed, but of course I'm sure he wasn't the only one.
I also watch another movie that was less depressing and more enlightening. It was basically about a number of Muslims expressing themselves through their words on a poster board. The theme was that Muslims are not all the stereotypical image that people make them out to be, they are like you. It was very interesting and entertaining to see a woman writing that she named her first child after her first crush. Others wrote metaphorical statements like "Terrorists Hijacked my religion" in order to create a division between Muslims and terrrorists. It was just a very clever and enlightening video.
Morgan Laporte-Hilliard
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9am
3 March 2011
I walked in to the class and started to watch a 10min film titled "In the Morning". This film was about a Turkish girl who was raped and how her brother had to kill her out of honor. I was not not shocked by the whole process instead i was very angry. I feel that honor killings are very stupid and do nothing to solve the problem. I feel that honor killings only make it easier for women and children to be raped. Instead of the rapist having to kill the person they raped, the victim's family does it for him.
Andrew Duong
Professor Sabir
English 1A
10 March 2011
Film Free write: In the Morning by Danielle Lurie
The events portrayed in this film were extremely shocking to me. Although I have read about such related measures, watching one changed my perspective. This film gives the audience a sense of more awareness about the types of situations that are occurring around the world. In this particular film, honor killing becomes the main point of one family’s condition. The father of a recently raped girl is asking his young son to “take four shots to the chest” as in shooting his own sister. In the father’s view, doing so will restore the family’s reputation. I believe honor killings are incredibly unnecessary and are done so out of pure ignorance. People living in third world countries must find a way to become educated, only then will such reckless actions take a halt. The raped girl in this film could have found a way to become successful later on in her life just like other countless girls. The only ingredient they need is an “opportunity.” All in all, reading about mistreatment of women is one thing, watching it is another. Visually viewing a scenario seems like it will increase the amount of intensity by one hundred. Here I thought reading Half the Sky was depressing.
Tony San Nicolas
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9:00-9:50a
10 March 2011
What Honor?
There is honor
Among thieves
Is there honor among murderers?
Rapists or patriarch head of families making the difficult decision
To end
Life?
How difficult is it to put a life on the line of an arbitrary feeling?
To be so upset at the fact that “my friends don’t ask me to come outside and play anymore”
That you would ask your son to end his sister’s life?
The decision came rapidly, like the jury of a trial
Deliberating for only a few minutes.
Honor does not reside in the house of the raped
An eye for an eye.
Tit for tat.
There are thoughts swirling in my head
Like the invisible wind
Made visible with particles of hate, disgust
Vomit and dirt, mixed with cries for help
Lost in the darkness. Screams that reach no one. No ear.
Screams that echo in my mind
Injustice. Injustice.
The voices aren’t singular
But multiply each day. Around the world
A cacophony of screams
Sounds of blood, bile and desperation.
Voices that I pray will be heard.
David Odza
Professor Sabir
Englsih 1A 9-9:50
10 March 2011
Film response: In the Morning
This video starts out with a 15 or 16 year old woman walking down the street alone at night in Turkey. A man abruptly approachs her, asks her why she is alone, and then begins to rape her. The next scenes show the men of this woman's family collaborating on what they should do. They claim that their friends no longer want anything to do with the family. They decide they must kill to reclaim their families honor, but none of the men want to go to jail for life. They come to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to have the woman's 13 year old brother do the murder because he will get less jail time. They give the young man a gun, and tell him what he must do. The sister is doing laundry and asks the boy if he will be home for dinner. Crying, the boy pulls out the gun and shoots her four times in the chest. She was six months pregnant.
As I watched this video, I thought they were going to kill the rapist, not the rape victim. It is sick that a woman would be punished for being attacked and raped against her will, like recieving a death wish. This video depicted what is called, an "Honor Killing". Honor killings are reported to happen in a double digit number of countries. People are sick to look down on a rape victim and not want anything to do with them, rather than want to help them.
Eleanore Johnston
professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50
10 March 2011
Film Response
The first film that I watched was "In the Morning". This film was so intense. It really illustrates what is going on in our book. It is so terrible to think that they would kill their own family member because she got raped. What is most terrible about it is that they made the younger brother do it. I can not imagine how he feels having to live his life knowing what he did.
The second film I watched was "Islak". It is so disrespectful to make someone take off their headscarf to enter their university. That is part of their religion and no ones business to make her take it off. I am not quite sure why she was cutting off her hair in the end, I'm sure it would make more sense if I was a bit more educated in different cultures. These films really made a huge impact. You can tell the difference between the quality of the winning film and those who did not win.
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Alex Peña
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9am
10 March 2011
Film Response
To tell you the truth I really thought that I wasn’t going to see anything new from the films, compared to the book Half the Sky. I thought that these stories were even more compelling. I don’t know if it was because what they are going threw, or because you get to see into the face of the person that this is happening to.
I was mad to see how the women in Iraq are treated. I don’t know but I just can’t see how people take all that hate and humiliation, but I am even more surprised at the men that do all that to them. Women over there are treated like nothing and I can’t see how people would treat other human beings like animals, or worse than animals. In this film you get to see how the women are beat and humiliated if they don’t do what they are told to do. Even on the work force women are exploited if they do not do what they are told to do.
Thailea Boykin
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50am
10 March 2011
The Branded Girls
In the 9 minute and 34 second documetary by Bijoyeta Das and Khaled Hasan titled The Branded Girls, we are shown first hand what Bangladesh sweatshop workers go through. Most of the individuals working in these sweatshops are females from ages 16 and up. These women take these sweatshop jobs in hopes to become financially confortable, so that they live peaceful with their families. Unfortunatly, this is not the reality of the situation. Even though these women are working for large brand names such as Zara, Gap, and H&M, one would think that they are being paid generious salaries; definatly not the case in Bangladesh. With a income of $23 a month , no one can live a peaceful life. Not only do these women have to worry about the not being paid enough to support their growing families, they also have to worry about the behavior of others at work. Being that these women are working in factories that are in deserted areas, rude behavior and sexual harrasment comes in to play from undesirables lerking the streets at the early/late hours the women work. There was one lady that had a family of 5 including her and her husband. The two worked in sweatshops making $34 between the two and could only afford to live in a 1 bedroom space with their children. In my opion something needs to be done. How can the government allow these types of things happen and actually condone this behavior. Being that I plan to be designer I will not be outsorceing to countries that pay their workers less than the USA’s minimum wage. I feel bad knowing that some of the top designers could care less about who is crafting their product, I guess its definatly a judement of character.
Summer Hurst
Professor Sabir
English 9-9:50am
10 March 2011
Free-write for the Films by Women in the Muslim World
Movie/Films I watched:
“Aseer Shahzadi”
“Modern day Slavery: Enchained”
My Response:
These films were very well developed indeed. The creators of these films definitely got the messages across. I enjoyed watching them, even though most of them were sad. For someone who has never learned about these issues, they will learn something interesting. I found these films very inspirational and very informative. The creators did a fantastic presentation of the issue that they were focusing on. I liked “Aseer Shahzadi” the best because I liked how Sheema Kermani grabbed the audience’s attention with the beginning with the clips of a “perfect day at the beach” with the two little girls. The emotion she expresses through this film is very real and I can tell, by just watching it, that she knows how these girls feel. It seems as though she is sharing her own story through this film. While watching these films, I got chills up my and down my spine. I felt so much sympathy for the girls in particular. It definitely opened my mind about what these people are going through. It feels so much more thankful for what I have and how easy I actually have it compared to them. Watching these short movie films by Muslim women definitely reminds me how the world is not perfect and that so many people are suffering all over the world.
Dereje Bizuneh
Proffessor Sabir
English 1A
9:00-9:50 AM
10 March 2011
I watched two movies which are called ‘Muslima Q’ and ‘We live in the 21 C’. I found both very interesting in different aspects. The Muslima Q is focusing on the girl’s need and her secret life and the other one, we live in the 21 C, is about the women who been abused by the men and fight about their lifes. Those movies are contradict each other to me. Which one is the critical issue? Which one should be prioritize on women’s issue at this time?
On my opinion, Muslima Q is too early to advocate the girl’s sexual issue at this time because the muslim community, not in USA, is not accepting the women’s equality yet. I personally do not believe on bi-sexual. That is not the way we been created. Any ways, I sencerly adviced her to focus on other muslim sisters who’s fighting their life.
On the movie, we live in 21 C, it’s hard to hear womens’ story in different countries. It is very sad. These people really need a justice and others learn from it. I think, we have a lot of responsiblities to change these people’s mind since we are a part of this world. The half the sky book is realy open my mind about the women on the other side of the world.
David Guzman
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9a.m.
10 March 2011
Sunglasses
In this video we see the reality of some women in Muslim countries. We see how in radical religious families, women have many limitations. In the video a woman walks into the store and can not speak to the manager. She wears a dress that covers her completely from head to foot, so nobody knows what her features are. That woman has no physical impediments to hide; it is the culture that prohibits her to display her features. In the video she likes a pair of glasses, and although the store manager will find it strange that she wants to buy, she tries them. These sun glasses may only be used within the home under but the supervision of her husband. She may go to the beach with the dress that covers her completely, including her glasses.
The woman in the video wants to say that she is normal like any other woman, and although because of her religion she is forced to hide her beauty; she yields for independence even under the cloak that covers her body.
Vanessa Rocha
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8AM class
10 March 2011
Sunglasses
This video starts with a woman entering a store to pickup a picture of her and what it seems to be her husband. She is totally covered in a blue burca, while in the store she see some phoographs of beautiful women with make up one and nothing covering their faces or hair, I think she feels a little indignated comparing herself to the women on the photos in the store and on the street on her way home, they only cover their hair and wear sunglass and makeup. She stops at a sunglass store and get one for her, he gets home covers only her hair and try the sunglasses on when a man who seems to be her husband comes in looking not very pleased. At the end it shows them walking on the street, she is all covered up and he is wearing her sunglass. It shows how women don't have a say in their house, the have to do as they are told to not suffer the consequences such as beating and humiliation.
Stacey Kidder
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50am
10 March 2011
(I was absent from class, so I'm making this up.)
Film: I Accept I Accept I Accept
After watching this video, the emotion that overwhelms me is sadness. Basically, in the video, a young Pakistani girl is shown on her wedding day. She talks of all the excitement, but then her true feelings of fear, sadness, and simple unhappiness come out. She doesn't want to marry and become someone's property. Once married, it is clear that her husband doesn't love or like her (he didn't even know her thanks to the marriage being arranged) but treats her badly. I can see that these are the dreams that are crushed and the fear that is culminated in women with similar situations, ranging from these arranged marriages to sex trafficking. Women should not be property. Women should not go into a marriage knowing that all of their dreams are lost. Marriage should not be missing love. It's truly sad that these are all the things that women worldwide must deal with all the time.
Angela M. Vasquez
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
3/11/11
We Live in the 21st Century
This is a short but powerful video. It has different women saying a few sentences about what has happened to them. You can not see their faces, only their backs. At first the video made me sad because I feel for these women; for having to go thru what they have gone thru. It also made me sad that people can be so cruel and to someone who is supposed to be close to them, someone that they should be caring for and not hurting. After I thought about it more I started to get mad because who do these men think they are? What makes them better or superior to a woman? It really makes me sick to think that things like this actually go on today. Women should not be treated as if they were property or inferior to men. The men doing these things forget that it was a woman who brought them into this world. Overall I liked the video. It has a big impact on me.
Audrey Topacio
Professor Wanda
English 1A 8-8:50 a.m
11 March 2011
A Response to Avant-Propos
Tunisians are very different from what we stereotypically expect from Muslims. They are more westernized than we expect they are: more liberal in what women should wear and the roles of women in society. Many women in Tunisia are educated and practice the same rights as men. Many argue, though, that Tunisians have lost their touch with real Muslim culture. Critics say that even though Tunisia is progressing people should not forget their culture and leave it as history.
Women in Tunisia enjoy having their privilege of being able to study and speak up for what they believe in, but many are also torn between the Muslim culture and the European culture.
Eman Obad
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8AM class
10 March 2011
I actually had time to watch a lot of the videos on this website. But one that got to me was the one about "akhdam" in Yemen (my country). It told stories about how darker skinned people there were treated very bad. One girl told a story about how her sister was stabbed and killed and how no one stopped to help even after she cried and screamed. I felt so bad for these people and how they are treated. The president of Yemen doesn't care about these people. These women, kids, and men are worthless in a country that discriminates against dark skinned human beings. :( So I promised myself , next time I go I will try to help as many of them as I can .
Vanessa Dilworth
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50am
9 March 2011
Women’s Voices Now: In the Morning
The film entitled In the Morning is a true story set in Turkey about a sixteen year-old by the name of Kadriye Demirel. She was raped one day while walking home alone late in the evening. According to her culture, a rape victim is dishonored, making her unable to marry and shamed instead of the man that committed the crime. In a case like this, the woman normally commits suicide or her family kills her in an attempt to cleanse themselves of the shame “she” has brought upon her family. In Demirel’s situation, however, her father wanted to avenge his daughter by murdering her assailant. He appointed Kadriye’s thirteen year old brother, Baran, who didn’t want to go through with the slaying, to shoot the man because everyone else was older and if caught they would serve longer sentences. This would teach people that they could no longer dishonor families in such a way without grave consequences. In the morning as he was walking out to do what he was told by his father, Kadriye sense something was wrong and stopped him from walking out the front door by telling him of their father’s request that he be home on time for dinner at eight o clock. At this moment Baran turned towards his sister and shot her. In the end of the film we see flashes of her rape along with her body on the floor, a second victimization that all too many victims in Kadriye’s circumstances go through.
Kaijie Zhang
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9:00-9:50
03/14/2011
Respond to film
The film that I saw it called “we live in the 21st century”. There are many women in the Muslim world to share their painful experiences. They are brave and powerful. The women reported that they can’t have freedom and always beaten by their husband. When I saw this film, I feel terrible about what they were saying. It sounds like it might be happen in the past years. Like the movie’s name we live in the 21st century, we should prevent those hurt happen again and women should be learn fight back when they met some bad things happen.
Reagan Lolo
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8:00- 8:50AM
15 March 2011
Although I consider myself well informed citizen, watching the journey still really both heartbreaking and informative to me.Lakashmi was sold when she was only ten years old. She has no idea of how much she was sold for. Her parents were looking for her desperately with no certain idea of where their dear daughter might be, what she might be facing. After all she is only a girl. Could she be exposed to potential abuses?
The answer is ofcourse, she is now a new victim of the world cruelty. She was offered a "Job" not by a stranger, but by someone she knew and trust. After taking her to the other side of the Bangladesh-Indian border she realized that she was trafficked for sex purposes, and to satisfy the greed of criminals. It was a long journey for Lakshmi and her parents, hopefully she finnally got out of this cruel situation, and reunite with her parents, and find her smile again. She seems to forget the terrific past.
I learned a lot from this short video. Like mentioned in HALF THE SKY, the best way to fight those kind of cruelties is by educating our the world girls, in order to have stronger educated women who will surely be part of the decision makings. And eventually influence the fate of the world girls.
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