1. Sisters in law would be classified as an observational documentary. this would be due to the lack of personal interviews and input from the directors of the documentary. instead giving the interview first hand original footage from cases such as the court trials we see.

I think the directors chose this documentary style as it give the audience the first hand footage from the trials. the fact that the footage is authentic having not been messed with in post production give the audience a real sense of verisimilitude and truthfulness

2. Cinema verite would be defined as shooting footage with fairly simple equipment and using hardly any effects in post other then simple cuts of footage. This is mostly used in observational documentaries to increase the verisimilitude of the story being shown. An example of cinema verite in the film would be found in the court case with Manka. due to the fact there is no script people are shouting over each other and the camera does a lot of whip pans increasing the versimilitude.

3. would sisters in law have a different narrative if the directors were men?

In my opinion the narrative of the film would not change if the directors were men. This is because they still highlight the problems of Cameroonian beliefs and how women and children are treated there. The gender of the director does not change the narrative that He or she is trying to present and the awareness they are trying to show other people worldwide.

If truths are important to documentary filmmaking which truths are revealed in sisters in law?

sisters in law reveals the truth behind Cameroonian culture in which men believe that when they are married to a woman the woman then become the mans property. the documentary also reveals how children are treated by there parents and others in which they are beaten and abused if they misbehave.

• I feel as if the primary mode used in this documentary to tell the story and explain why the directors chose to present it in that way is the expository mode, as the film is constructed to inform and persuade the audience, convincing them to understand the issues with justice in South West Cameroon. Yet I also feel like the film is an observational mode, as it records the realistic happenings of the Adultery, Rape and Abuse cases.

• ‘The style of this documentary is influenced by the Cinema Verite movement’

The Cinema Verite movement is the French film movement of the 1960s that showed people in everyday situations with authentic dialogue and naturalness of action. This film definitely captured authentic conversations and situations so it is obvious that it is influenced heavily by this movement. This can be shown by the camera footage of the courthouses and the conversations held in the room that the victims speak to the woman.

• Would Sisters in Law construct a different narrative or give different perspectives of women’s lives, if the directors were men?

I feel like if the film was directed by only males, it would lose some of the sympathy placed on the women in the film, and so would lose the realism sense because the Sisters focus on female cases, and having a man direct those scenes would affect how the women are portrayed.

• If truth is important to documentary filmmaking, what truths are revealed in Sisters in Law?

The film reveals cases within the community of things like rape and abuse so it’s very hard hitting truths that the audience feel sympathy for the victims in the scene. I think the truths are important to this film as it gives a sense of verisimilitude for the story. However it is difficult to reveal the complete truth, having a visible camera is always going to change the subjects way of how they act, despite the situations being true.

1) The primary mode of the documentary is observational. I believe the directors chose this style deliberately as the lack of mediation adds to the immersion and makes the impact on the viewer more powerful, in turn heightening the verisimilitude.

2)The cinema verite movement is a 1960’s idea that showed people in everyday situations with authentic dialogue and naturalness of action. One way the documentary makes use of this is by seeing the various reactions of Manka’s family to her mistreatment. This is effective as it adds to the impact of the scene. Another way it makes use of the style is by showing the court room reactions and dialogue. Due to it not following a script, many people are shouting over each other to make their point, it can lead to chaos within the court room which increases tension with the viewer.

3)Observational Cinema can empower women as it represents their struggle by making an example of real events. The documentary focuses on showing the mistreatment of women and this doccumentary shows the harsh reality of the situation that some face. In turn, the doccumentary gives light to the situation and directly presents the justice system and how it protects them.

I believe that sisters in law wouldn’t have a different prospective if it’s directors were men. I believe this as the observational mode still showcases the crime happening against women and hence I believe if it were directed by a man it wouldn’t make a difference. It could be argued that the message wouldn’t be as powerful as it is not coming from a Women which would make it seem as if the directors were talking about a struggle they were not facing. yet, I still believe that the question is not if its a man directing it, instead I believe it is the quality of the doccumentary and how well it sheds light on the situation that women are facing.

1. In sisters in law, an observational form of documentary mode is used. This is done to keep the sense of verisimilitude seeing the real peoples real lives with little editing and intervention helping to connect the audience without it feeling fake.
2. Cinema verite was a movement from France in the 1960s about using more natural unedited shots to capture the very day life. This technique is used in sister in law having the camera roll during real interactions unscripted showing the true events of Cameroon.
3. a.)The style of cinema verite helps to empower women within the documentary sisters in law. As the footage is unedited and raw, the women are able to say what is on their mind and express themselves without a third party altering it in post production to fit an agenda.
4. b.) Many truths are shown within the sisters in law documentary regarding the mistreatment of women in Cameroon and how powerless they are against men as seen through legal system favouring men as seen with the lawyer who was actively mocking a women for speaking out against the abuse from her husband.

Rating – 8/10

A key moment for me within ‘Sisters in Law’ is despite receiving her punishment for the ill treatment the justice system still gives them kindness. It also humanises her as due to lack of education amongst her and the people in the village, she is improving towards trying to do better.

I would give the film a 6/10.

i liked the verisimilitude in the documentary and it was very insightful into how the justice system works in Cameroon. it shows how shocking some people are and how the fact that even though the judges are women they are strong and powerful.

however i would not rate this film higher as i felt like due to the severity of the film it would be one that it would be one that i watch once and once only. i would have rated higher had thee been maybe a narrator or a scene that gives us some insight into what is happening at first. the documentary also feels fairly clunky and it feels like it is split into parts

My most memorable moment was when the child was explaining what had happened to her as it shows the severity of some of the situation the sisters were dealing with.

I would give the film a 6/10 as i enjoyed the raw footage feel of the film having little intervention to bring the audience as close as possible to the peoples situation however interviews with the people involved should been included to get a larger picture of what they are feeling as well as context. A scene which stuck out to me was when the trails ended bringing people to justice especially during the end when the women was given the divorce showing how relived and empowered she felt.

Score – 7/10

I enjoyed moments of this documentary but thought that some parts were slightly repetitive.

Key moment which made a specific impact on me as a spectator – The scene in which Manka’s Auntie was getting punishment for beating Manka, as it felt like we were in the scene with them because of how real it was, so it was very engaging.

Rating – 7/10

A key moment for me was when Manka’s uncle arrived, and learnt that her step-sister had pretended to be her auntie and had beaten her many times with a cane. The lack of narration or infographics is effective as the actuality footage of his shocked reaction to finding out what had happened to Manka reinforces the extent to which she was abused.

I’ll give this film an 8/10, despite not being something I’d personally watch, it does an amazing job of what it sets out to achieve.

Key moment: The moment where they present the aftermath of the court trials held against the abusive husband in a Muslim relationship really stood out for me. It shows these people for the first time in this documentary smiling, not being by their husbands side, and feeling empowered as a free community. This documentary is never interrupted with an interview, expert opinions or voice overs, but rather leaves it all to observational footage. This makes this scene all the more powerful, as we have created that personal connection with the victim rather than some other voice, so to see the joy on their faces is truly heart-warming.