United states Institute for Yemeni Studies
H2
2007, 76 moments, color. Made by Women Make films, 462 Broadway, fifth Floor, ny, NY 10013, http: //www. Wmm.com
Four Wives—One guy is ostensibly of a family that is polygynous rural Iran. It opens with two penned statements: “The Quran: ‘Marry two, three, or four spouses if you’re able to https://brightbrides.net/review/okcupid pay for sic it, ’” and “In Iran polygamy is located primarily in rural areas. ” These are followed closely by a dazzling scene of females and kids joking and playing for a golden mountain of recently harvested grain. The movie continues with photographic shots of each and every for the four spouses, associated with noise bites of the voices that are own by themselves. Finally, we come across the spouse, Heda. Standing close to him is his son, subtly parodying their dad’s stance, but there’s no associated noise bite to introduce him. Rather, we hear his old and feisty mother criticizing her son as only thinking about sex. Doubting Heda the formal introduction afforded their spouses is an imaginative cinematic put?down of a distressing character and a reversal regarding the typical training of launching guys, not females, by title.
The movie’s message seems to be the common issue among polygynous households—a guy whom marries an extra spouse has a tendency to lose curiosity about their first spouse. Since the spouses continue steadily to compete for Heda’s attention, the next spouse and 3rd spouse each blames her unhappiness regarding the next wife, just as if she by herself hadn’t upstaged an early on wife. Over and over repeatedly, they scapegoat each other. The wife that is fourth Heda as a beneficial spouse and declares, “I do not be sorry for having hitched Heda, but i really do be sorry for having hitched a man with three spouses. ” Just Heda’s mom and their very first spouse blame him for behaving irresponsibly. Heda is actually and verbally abusive, relentlessly arguing and teasing together with his spouses, and threatening to marry just as before. He treats their kiddies approximately. But we additionally see him using his household for a picnic, tenderly cradling a new resting child, having fun with their toddler, and being affectionate along with his 4th spouse.
Regardless of their unhappiness, the ladies aren’t presented as passive victims. The 2nd, 3rd, and wives that are fourth divorced once they came across Heda. They explain their initial reluctance to marry a man that is already married. Just the second spouse had been forced to marry him by her moms and dads. One other two married Heda against their moms and dads’ desires. All the spouses remain true for their spouse once they feel necessary. The wife that is first no issue permitting Heda understand of her annoyance with him. We hear their wives scold him for his mistakes that are financial for ignoring their kiddies. One spouse defends her child’s gown whenever Heda accuses her of immodesty. Even though spouses complain loudly of Heda’s numerous marriages, everyday life one of them includes scenes filled up with laughter and shared help as well as bitter disputes.
Theoretically, numerous areas of this movie are aesthetically stunning. Its energy as ethnography is based on its depiction of rural life that is domestic. Material tradition fans will take pleasure in its extraordinary footage of cooking bread, family members dishes, carpeting weaving, furniture, livestock care, a family group picnic, and females performing their frustrations while they work. A essential thread operating through the initial 1 / 2 of the movie may be the incessant bawdy humor among members of the family, including Heda’s elderly mom. Not just is this funny, nonetheless it humanizes its topics and offers a glimpse that is rare the frank banter and humor this is certainly therefore typical within families in the centre East. The behavior and assertiveness for the females contradict typical stereotypes regarding the Muslim woman as target (cf. Laila Lalami, “The Missionary Position, ”The Country, June 19, 2006). On a few occasions, Heda’s spouses freely question their monetary judgment. Ziba asks Heda to create the table while she smokes a water pipeline. On another occasion, he assists himself to tea. Plainly, their four spouses try not to serve him always.