Zainab
is supposed to be the child-bride daughter of a child-bride mother. At just
fifteen years old (frankly, not so very young by Islamist standards), Allah
Rakhi (meaning “God protects”) was married off to a much older tribal
chieftain. Now her ten year old daughter is to be a peace-offering to any even
older rival clan leader. Refusing to consign her daughter to a fate worse than
her own, the mother flees with her child into the mountains in Afia Serena
Nathaniel’s Dukhtar (trailer here), Pakistan’s
official foreign language Oscar submission, which screens tonight at the 2014 South Asian International Film Festival.
Allah
Rakhi’s initial escape is rather clever, but she does not have much a plan
after that. She really has nobody to turn to, since her “husband” has prohibited
any contact with her family since their marriage. Since Zainab is now
considered the property of creepy old Tor Gul, both clans are out to capture
her and kill her mother. That would be their idea of “honor.” Into this
misogynist tribalism drives trucker and former mujahidin veteran Sohail. At
first, he is reluctant to shelter the fugitive women, but he soon becomes their
ardent protector. They will need him.
Let
us be clear, nobody is terrorizing Allah Rakhi and their daughter because they
are upset about drone strikes or resent America’s friendship with a democratic
state like Israel. No, it is simply the thing to do for its own sake. This is a
harrowing depiction of institutionalized misogyny and the pain and desperation
it causes. Yet, as bracing as Dukhtar is,
Nathaniel’s symbolic imagery often has a poetic beauty. She and her
cinematographer tandem of Armughan Hassan and Najaf Bilgrami also vividly capture
the vast splendor of the mountain vistas, so the film isn’t just a slap in the
face.
Nathaniel
gets a critical assist from her leads, who are surprisingly subtle, but still
deeply expressive. It is particularly powerful to watch Samiya Mumtaz convey
all the fear, confusion, and anger Allah Rakhi has been forced to guardedly
bottle up. She also forges some ambiguous but genuinely touching chemistry with
Mohib Mirza’s Sohail, who handles his own significant character development arc
rather sure-footedly. Even young Saleha Aref is quite grounded and believably
restrained as Zainab.
Watching
Dukhtar leads one to abandon all hope
for Pakistan, but the mere fact they submitted it for Academy Award
consideration (and the likely attention that comes as a result) could be
considered a hopeful sign. Despite a rough patch here or there, Dukhtar is a compelling narrative,
featuring several mature, well-balanced performances. It is an important film
for multiple reasons that demands a wider audience. Enthusiastically
recommended, Dukhtar screens tonight
(11/22), as part of this year’s
SAIFF.
