This is a documentary by Diana El Jeiroudi, who has scripted, written and directed the film. The film is about a young woman Manal, and her fight, if you could call it that, to be employed in a job outside the home. She wants it because it engages her mind, gives her a sense of identity (she uses a word very similar to “wajood”). However her wants are against traditional Syrian society and culture where women are expected to work only if they need financial help. As she herself puts it the elders want the girls to get out of school and get married – no college/university etc.
As a metaphor to her life, Jeiroudi, in parallel shows us the Fulla doll, a Syrian version of Barbie. Fulla is a veiled doll, that is her clothing is covered by an outer abaya, which covers her hair and neck, so the only part of her that you can see is her face. Fulla, we are told by a Fulla company representative is fashioned after the populace at which she is directed. He says that they try to make her (Fulla) conservative – and by conservative he says he means a woman who respects, is obedient etc. He says they took feedback from the public, they flattened her chest, made her undergarments a part of the body, so that even if her clothes were taken off, the doll could not be “naked”.
In the beginning of the film, there is a voiceover (by Jeiroudi, I assume) which tells us that the veil is coming back in fashion. Also we see women on the streets in Western wear, pants, skirts, jeans and tights, but with their heads covered by the veil. Manal also wears Western clothes – we see her in pants and long skirts, and kurti like tops. She also wears a head covering. Also featuring in the film are her husband Bashar and their daughters Naya and Yara. There are also her parents and her in-laws.
This is an interesting film, especially since Jeiroudi succeeds in conveying Manal’s emotions so well. Manal wants to work outside the home for herself, and for her sense of self, as she did once, and Jeiroudi documents her search for a job, in a conservative, patriarchal society.
Beautifully done, I highly recommend this one.
