We watched Sarah Polley’s Women talking last week. It has the Oscar nominations for the best screenplay and best picture and I wish it also wins the same. I think this is a movie you should watch with your whole family. If you think you don’t want your kids to watch I understand. But do talk to them.

If you are married or have a partner, watch it with them. It is important to not just watch but also talk about it. The movie is based on the book with the same name written by Miriam Toews.

The story is inspired by a true incident that happened in an ultra conservative Mennonite community. The movie revolves around the plot where the women of the community found that they all have been raped regularly by men in their community after they have been given cow tranquilizers.

The movie starts with one of them identifying a man who tries to escape. This breaks the lie they have been told for generations that these were act of ghosts and satan. The perpetrator names others and they are arrested. The men in the community have gone to the town to get bail of those arrested and give the women two choices forgive the perpetrators or leave the community.

The women decide to take a vote on three choices Forgive, Stay and fight or Leave. The voting puts ‘Stay and Fight’ and ‘Leave’ in a tie and they decide to talk. This whole thing happens in the first 15 minutes of the movie I guess and remaining is all about women talking. There is only one man you has a speaking role where you can see him. Rest all are blurred out.

The one man is someone whose mother was expelled from the community for questioning the norms and now have been granted permission to reenter. He has a college degree and now teaches the boys in the community. Girls are never taught to read and write. He takes the role of the minutes taker as the women talk.

Why this movies is so important is that every conversation, question, statement and remark should be discussed in current times and society. About women’s freedom, about faith, about community, about family, about doing the right thing, about the act of forgiveness, about responsibility, about individuality, about education and about all about choices and talking.

Please watch if you have the time and talk about it. Discuss, understand and see how many things are so relevant to all of us now.

Categories: Movies

Tags: Women Talking