Film Review: #FEMALE PLEASURE Should Be Cherished
It is always hard for me to watch documentaries about racism, classism, and sexism or any prejudice and discrimination. I have suffered these things and I like to think that world has gotten better and hard work is rewarded, but I know the truth. We need so much more progress because this world is still too casual and even happy to dismiss a remarkable talent for their gender. On October 18, #FEMALE PLEASURE, tells the story of 5 women across the globe entering an unnecessary war that has lasted thousands of years: the fight over women’s bodies, who should have more say, and can they have pleasure beyond reproduction?
#FEMALE PLEASURE is the reason why I both love and hate documentaries; they make me confront and think upon realities that are unsafe. Directed by Barbara Miller, the film feels like a balance between rightful rage and righteousness. It an artful display of the virtues you need to face others’ inhumanity like, resilience, boldness, and fierce intelligence. Such qualities describe the women it follows: bestselling author Deborah Feldman, anti FGM-activist Leyla Hussein, vagina-artist Rokudenashiko, former nun Doris Wagner and “Love Matters”- founder Vithika Yadav. Each are fighting for sexual liberation and autonomy for women, beyond religious rules and cultural barriers, but it comes at heavy costs. In fighting to show women deserve and can experience pleasure, they, often, lose their safety and peace.
Each woman has experienced public defamation, threats and prosecutions, have been excommunicated by the society they grew up in and even received death threats by religious leaders and fanatics. They have been beaten but not broken, which will make viewers wonder if they can do the same. Miller uses her documentary to show that the sacrifice these women make for womanhood is both personal and spiritual because it has forced them to redefine what is peace in their life. As you watch each of them go to rallies, do speeches, and confront attacks on their life, loved ones, and livelihoods, you feel their existential pain: is it worth it? This movies spans across the globe to talk about a history or rather our herstory. It is beautiful to know women have been so strong and defiant for so long across the world, but it is also disheartening.
#FEMALE PLEASURE Trailer English
#FEMALE PLEASURE is positive and empowering in showing women that concur; you never give up on yourself, which is why you never give up fighting for your rights. Every generation of woman has experienced being second to a man and has had to fight tooth and nail to show her oppressor she is their equal. The nuance of Miller’s movie and the 5 women she has chosen to exalt is that it shows fighting is not solely about seeing progress, it is also about keeping your dignity. Ladies would be WAY worse had not been for women that came before but are as human and revolutionary Deborah Feldman, Leyla Hussein, Rokudenashiko, fDoris Wagner and Vithika Yadav. #FEMALE PLEASURE comes out on October 18.
