F06 :: Feminist Film Studies

I chose this image because its an image that used to be quite shocking for me. This is an Afghani woman wearing a burkah. A little background, the burkah is the suffocating dress women were forced to wear during the rule of the Taliban. When I first saw a woman in a burkah, it was about six years ago, I was haunted by the picture. Now I have seen so many I now mostly feel anger at the site. The image represents oppression and pain. the burkah strips women of all feminine qualities, making them ghosts. I wanted to use this image to counter the standard American images that stereotype and eventuate the feminine form. I want people to think about a more intense oppression. Objectifying women through photos like the one we saw in class is something we need to be aware of. But denying womanhood is terrible. This image breaks my heart.

The medium close up makes us uncomfortably aware of the fact that this woman is separated from the world. no matter how close anyone gets, they can never no this woman, and they are not allowed to. The worst part is, her isolation is not her choice. you can see this through her submissive form. the lighting makes her stand out against a blurred background. there is nothing else to focus on, but once again there is no way to know who she is.