The Other Side of Burka

Life is bleak on the island of Qeshm, located off the southern tip of Iran, especially now that the local fishing industry is in decline. But things are particularly grim for the women, who are often forced into arranged marriages as early as 12 or 13 years of age to husbands who are often abusive or have multiple wives, whom they view as their personal property. Women must also routinely wear a severe headscarf or burka, which resembles a football face guard. Filmmaker Mehrdad Oskouei's penetrating documentary presents a sympathetic portrait of these women who do not rebel, but rather talk with surprising candor about their unhappiness, which leads to emotional, mental, and physical problems (as the film opens, three local women have committed suicide; in fact, suicides and self-induced abortions are not uncommon).The men appear clueless and comfortable with the status quo, with one comparing a wife to an old pair of shoes that can always be replaced. Surprising because it offers an "insider" look at a slice of Iranian society—though the filmmaker seems understandably reluctant to ask tough questions about the role of the government and Islam in defining marital customs (and this was probably filmed before Iran's recent fundamentalist crackdown on dissent)—The Other Side of Burka offers no solutions, and perhaps the only hopeful note here is the willingness of the women to speak frankly about their plight. A decidedly downbeat award-winning program, this is recommended for larger collections. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)