41. Forgive, Fight, or Flee: Unpacking Women Talking

Uncovered: Life Beyond

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What happens when women in a tightly-knit religious community decide they've had enough? It's a scenario rarely considered. Join us as we reflect on the gut-wrenching film directed by Sarah Polley and based on the novel by Miriam Toews.
While the film and novel take a real-life tragedy as their starting points, neither attempts to retell actual events. Instead, they invite us to imagine what might be possible if women owned their collective power, gave voice to their deepest sorrows and dreams, and embraced their faith to leave all they have known behind.
It wasn't just the familiarity of cape dresses and head coverings that resonated with us, but we were gripped by the narrative unfolding on the screen that dared to imagine an entirely different outcome than what is typical in most communities that turn a blind eye to assault and systemic abuse. Sequestered in a hay loft, these fictional women contemplate the violence of forced forgiveness and the restoration that is only possible with distance. In this imagined world, we see an example of how women everywhere might radically accept an unacceptable situation, find healing in mutual accountability, and prioritize the welfare of their loved ones over the egos of complicit men.
Links
Women Talking (IMDB)
Women Talking by Miriam Towes
The Ghost Rapes of Bolivia (Vice)
Why I Want Viewers to Know about the Story Behind Women Talking (TIME)

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