Salma (2013) User Reviews (2)

Drama

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 10 August 2013]

I hadn't heard of this woman prior to watching the movie. And I hadn't looked her up or read the description of the movie either. I try to watch movies without knowing too much, so I can be surprised, for better or worse. This one was obviously one of the better ones. It played at the Berlin Internationeal Festival and rightfully so.

It's an extraordinary story that is being told. The woman and everyone growing up with her is being interviewed. I imagine it can't have been easy to go through some of those things she had to endure. But she got stronger for it and the important thing is she never gave up. You can almost say this works also as tale on not giving up. It'll be hard not to feel at least something while watching this.

The movie is relevant, now more than ever (August 2013), especially thinking about the 11-year old who just came out on the internet, stating she'd rather die than do what her parents want her to do. A movie/documentary that is more than able to move you and shock you to your core.

Great documentary

[amend71008 · 9/10 · 3 May 2013]

This woman endured so much, but still managed to stay strong, secretly writing poetry on bits of newspaper, with a pen she concealed in the lavatory, to express her frustrated dreams. Amazingly, after struggling to national recognition and escaping, she forgave the family that imprisoned her for so many years. She now goes back to the village where she was both prisoner and outcast and cooks meals for her very difficult family, confronts her husband and gently prods her nephew and sons into some enlightenment about a woman's role in society. Some scenes had the audience rolling on the floor, as when her nephew seriously and sagely advises her that the burqa is good for her, protects her modesty and also protects men -- who are "scientifically proved" to be ten times faster than women to become aroused(!) I left the screening at the San Francisco Film Festival with that hard to describe positive sensation, maybe it's called hope.