Surrealist convention example = Unexplained Jumps in time/ and or in space. –
Film Example: Dunkirk.
Within the non-linear construction of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkrik’, 2017, we can see that through jumps in and back through time and different courses of events, how characters change in personality and manner. An example of such can be seen with Cillian Murphy’s character of playing an Officer in the evacuation at Dunkirk. First seeing him as a frightened, shell-shocked soldier found on the bow of a sinking ship we perceive him as this frail figure, it isn’t until a later scene following a separate narrative, it shows him, prior to the ship sinking, being in more of a self-contained manner, commanding a group of men. From this we are able to understand how he came to be like this.
How do the directors use cinematography, mise en scene, sound and editing to create meaning in the film?
Cinematography – The use of left and right side shots depending on who is speaking on the courtroom scene is effective as it makes clear to the audience that either speaker is on different sides of the same case, creating the idea of binary opposites between prosecutor and defendant, as well as woman vs man.
Mise en Scene – The items on Vera’s desk in her office consist of documents, a dictionary and a phone. These being spread out the way they are all over the desk build the idea that she is a hard worker who is always busy with cases, and does not have time to neatly organise her belongings.
Sound – Non-diegetic sound is only used twice in the film, those times being at the very beginning of the documentary, where spectators are being introduced to the town for the first time, and the final scene in which Vera is teaching the class about how the two domestic abuse cases that she was involved in led to the first convictions for the crime in 17 years. The music returning for this scene reminds audiences of how much has changed throughout the events of the documentary and how monumental Vera and Beatrice’s work has been.
Editing – As Manka is brought into Vera’s office by Stephen for the first time, cross-cutting is used throughout the scene in order for the audience to see Vera’s shocked reactions as Stephen and Manka explain the suffering she has experienced at the hands of her stepsister (thought to be her auntie at the time). The shock spectators see from Vera reinforces the idea that surprise and emotion (both upset and disgust) still comes with her job despite it being part of her day to day activities.
The doccumentary is a largely feminist based production, it’s directors , Florence Ayisi, Kim Longinotto, are both women who created the doccumentary in order to present the crimes against women and children in the community. Due to this women in the film are presented with a position of power such as the Judge which is a controversial among the Sharia Law that believes women shouldn’t have independence. This patriarchal view is disapproved in the production as we see women having power and punishing men who harm the innocent.
Men
A majority of the men in the documentary are presented with a negative view. This is due to the patriarchal society of Kumba which is responsible for the mistreatment of women. This is due to dated traditions such as the Sharia Law which limits women’s rights and freedoms. Men in the documentary commit unspeakable crimes and take advantage of various women and are overall presented in a negative fashion.
Children
Children in the film suffer immense crimes committed against them. There is multiple cases of domestic abuse and sexual assault committed against children committed in the film. One such case is Manka who is beat viciously by her own Aunt. We see the scars left from the beatings which shows the harsh reality of these less regulated towns
Muslims
Muslims are mistreated often by their husbands and other family relations. This is due to Sharia Law which views women as property of their husband. Due to this viewpoint they are taken advantage of and often denied divorce leaving them with no choice but to stay with their abusive husbands.
Women: In the documentary, women are portrayed as impowered fighting for justice throughout the film usually coming out on top, an example being the two Muslim women at the end who are stood before an entire class to talk about their achievements.
Men: Men in Sisters in Law are portrayed as ignorant to the damage they cause towards women, an example being the defence lawyer laughing at the abuse victim not understanding the seriousness of the situation.
Children: Children are shown as victims in the documentary with the worst of the abuse being inflicted on them usually being physical. An example being Manka who was beaten and neglected.
Muslim people: Muslims are presented as being retrained by their religion within the documentary. An example being the women who is unable to leave her house without her husbands permission due to an Islamic law. This shows how one cause of the abuse on Cameroon is the presence of religion.
Cinematography – The decision to have a dolly-like movement (probably filmed from a moving car) to open the film allows the spectator to feel immersed into the environment of Cameroon, as if they themselves are driving, in a way that is more natural and real than a stationary shot.
Mise-en-scene – The Mise-en-scene in the scenes set in Vera’s office is key to the concepts touched in the documentary. The setting establishes the economic state of Cameroon, specifically in a high status job like prosecutor, the decoration is still minimal, the facilities limited and overall look is simple.
Sound – The use of L-cut in this scene is effective in really understanding the depths of how serious his crime is. We, the audience, are allowed to see his reaction, and notice how he has little to no remorse for his actions and instead asks to be excused. This implements how the men in Cameroon are yet to be taught the consequence of mistreating women and girls.
Editing – The frequent use establishing shots in ‘Sisters in Law’ again adds to be verisimilitude of the film. Ensuring the spectator gets a real understanding of the economic conditions and culture of Cameroon, and how this relates to the somewhat outdated traditions and views the men have about ‘owning’ their wives.
Additionally, the shots almost always depict children running and having fun, this is done to show the beauty that Cameroon has to offer, showing the spectator that although the documentary depicts horrific events, Cameroon is still a place for potential freedom and individuality.
How are the following groups represented in the documentary and what is the intended impact on the spectator?
Women – In Sisters in Law, women are represented as having had enough with the patriarchal society in place which has led to them being beaten, sexually abused and sold to men for marriage among many other criminal acts. Spectators see both female victims of mistreatment, such as Amina, who have been pushed to the point that she is terrified to even see her abusive husband, as well as defenders of the victims, like Vera, who is willing to stand up to men in order to get justice for her clients.
Men – Most men in Sisters in Law are represented as being cruel to women and patriarchal in beliefs that they ‘own’ the women in their lives. This can be seen with people such as the man at the beginning who is attempting to get custody of a child he had with his wife, who had been forced to marry him after a sale between the man and the woman’s father. However, this doesn’t apply to Stephen, who breaks the expectations set in the film by being compassionate to Manka, a young child abused by a family member.
Children – Children, specifically young girls, are represented as being vulnerable in a society full of cruelty and brutality. We see this both with Manka, who was taken from her family by her abusive stepsister following the death of her mum, and Sonita, a 9 year old who was raped by a neighbour.
Muslim People – Muslim people, specifically men, use their religion as a method to almost trap women in situations they don’t want to be in, as seen when the male lawyer attempts to get a domestic abuse case overturned due to Muslim beliefs surrounding divorce.
How do the directors use aesthetics (I.e. the ‘look and feel’ of the film) to create a specific message for the audience? – By avoiding an attempt to depict Kumba Town in a glamorous manner, the social realism presenting the area as an underdeveloped and poverty-high part of Cameroon is reinforced in order to emphasise to audiences what kind of conditions the subjects of the documentary are living in. This links to Longinotto’s auteur trademark of observational filmmaking.
Social Contexts – Sisters in Law takes place in an underdeveloped and poor part of Cameroon, one in which patriarchal views are normalised and men see women as their property more than they do as equal. Additionally, children are often only given an education if they are male, reinforcing the gender inequality. A female judge and lawyer being placed in positions of power in the documentary signifies positive change in terms of attitudes towards gender in the town of Kumba.
Production Contexts – Initially, Kim Longinotto and Florence Aiyisi were going to work together on a documentary with the focus being on police, however they changed their minds following a visit to Cameroon, where Aiysi grew up, to the legal system and the women involved.
