Tuesday, September 2, 2008

"Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon.."

The Day I Became A WomanDirected by Marzieh Makhmalbaf(2000)

I had completely forgotten about this movie, until I had a dream about the bicycles and the room on the beach . The more I thought back, the more I wanted to see it again. I know this film has a very firm political message, but the images are so simple, universal and kinda powerful they linger with you, or at least have with me for years. Three stories, none of which connect, about woman living in Iran, a young girl who finds out she has has to go to the "all girls" school soon, leaving behind her male friends...a woman bicycles away from her wedding and refuses to pull over. And an elderly woman whose husband is dead who can now do what she has always wanted, create the home of her dreams, with furniture right along the beach; a house without walls. Effective, original, beautiful, and poignant. When does one, become a woman(or man), and why? How is it different for each character, how is it the same, and what does is spell out once it's all putt together? This almost makes me want to learn to ride a bike.

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