1. The primary mode of documentary used in Sisters in Law is Observational. The directors likely chose this mode due to the verisimilitude of watching the events occur on screen without the filmmakers stepping in (as seen in documentaries by people such as Michael Moore) at any point. This also makes the film much more effective in moments of shock, as we see the subjects express emotion without directly addressing the documentary crew.

2. The Cinema Verite movement (or ‘direct cinema’) is a documentary style in which the filmmakers spend an extended amount of time living in and recording the communities in which they are making their films about. No scenes are manipulated to create a certain plot, and instead the film’s narrative is created during the editing process using the actuality footage. One example of this in Sisters in Law is the scene in which the young girl gives her account of when she was raped, in which the directors choose not to cut out the graphic details she describes. Another example is when the lawyers are discussing the court case surrounding domestic abuse and express their frustration with the court.

3. ‘Would Sisters in Law construct a different narrative or give different perspectives of women’s lives, if the directors were men?’ – I believe that the gender of Sisters in Law’s director does make a difference in what is and isn’t shown on screen. Being female herself, Longinotto relates to how women are spoken to and mistreated by men, and she holds them accountable for their actions. For example, when the male lawyer is talking to Vera in a disrespectful and sarcastic manner, Longinotto keeps the footage uncut in the film in order to make sure spectators know exactly what kind of person he is in the later court scenes.

‘If truth is important to documentary filmmaking, what truths are revealed in Sisters in Law?’ – Longinotto uses Sisters in Law as a way to emphasise the cruelty women in Cameroon suffer at the hands of men or even each other. However, following the stories of female lawyers who manage to prove to the court that the offenders are guilty shows that change had begun in terms of Cameroon’s patriarchal society.

The visual style of sisters in laws enforces the fact of Cameroon being an under developed country through the mise en scene I the documentary. An example of this being the lawyers office having huge stacks of paper on her desk as well as her office in general looking cheap with the cleaners using branches to sweep dirt. This shows Cameroons poverty as the lawyer in the film is supposed to be a higher up in society yet cant afford cabinets for files and has an over all run down office. This overall gives the documentary a sympathetic tone showing Cameroon as venerable and unpleasant to live in strengthening the the themes of equality in the documentary.

Social context: Sisters in law is set in Kumba Cameroon. At the time the documentary was filmed Kumba was a town in poverty and had some controversial views on how women and children were treated. For example when married women were seen as the husbands property and not a separate human. also women and children were beaten after doing something wrong and this was seen as ok at the time. The fact that both the judge and the prosecutor are women would give hope to the population of Cameroon and the rest of the world as the views of how women and children are treated are starting to change

Sisters in law was produced by Florence Ayisi and Kim Longinotto and was funded by the organization Women made movies which is a charity that promotes film made by or featuring women The inspiration for the film came from Kumba Town in West Cameroon, where Ayisi grew up. Initially, the directors planned to focus on the local police force but shifted their attention to the judicial system, highlighting the work of two women, Vera Ngassa and Beatrice Ntuba

Social: The documentary is set in Cameroon, a country in central Africa which suffers from poverty and inequality in terms of gender due to being a highly religious place with 69.2 percent of the population are Christian, 20.9 percent Muslim meaning script traditional values are misused against women in the community.

Production: Florence Ayisi and Kim Longinotto where supported financially by the non profit company women make movie who aimed to teach women filmmaking supporting sisters in law to have a wider representation for women directors. Ayisi had the idea to make a documnetry in her home town Cameroon after a visit she had there seeing the mistreatment of women.

infotainment – a type of media, usually telelvision or online, that provides a combination of information and entertainment

mode of address (direct/indirect) – the direct mode of address refers to the use of signifiers that acknowledge the audience

tone/mood (formal/informal) – the mood refers to what the audience feel as they watch the film, whereas the tone refers to the attitude of the filmmaker about the film’s subject

investigative journalism – a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, racial injustice, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing

polemic approach – an aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principles of another

exposition – a literary term that refers to the background information the audience needs to know for the world of your story to make sense

Social Context

It is set in a rural community in Kumba town, Cameroon, that focuses on the different prospective of women’s lives. The film was made in 2005 and is directed by the female directors Florence Ayisi and Kim Longinotto. The film being produced by women accurately showcases the mistreatment of women and the justice system that protects them.

Production

The directors were supported by a non profit media organisation named ‘women make movies’ who focused on running workshops and teaching women how to make films. The the idea grew from a visit to Kumba Town, west Cameroon, which is Florence’s hometown. They were originally going to make a doccumentary about the police but instead chose to focus on the justice system.

Primary mode: The primary mode in this documentary is observational. I believe the directors have chosen this style is because they wanted to create a personal connection between the spectator and these people from a completely different culture without interference. They wanted the voice to be solely from the voiceless, and these affects of connection and voice wouldn’t be possible if we had the filmmaker be a noticeable part of the film in any way.

Cinema Verite movement: Cinema Verite relates to using a handheld camera, following unscripted movement and speech, alongside natural lighting, hence being an essential part of an observational documentary. 1 example where this is used in Sisters in Law is during the classroom scene, where the camera whips around from the teacher to the students when they heard the students clapping.

Another example is during the court room scenes. The camera will pan across the room of people, then at the door when the judge is walking in, zooming at as they walk closer to the camera, and following them as they walk across the room. This is all done in 1 continuous shot. I believe this is very effective for the style and mode of documentary this was.

This is all because it reminds the audience that none of this is scripted, emphasising that personal connection between audience and these victims, and everyone in their culture.

Questions: 1) If Sisters in Law was produced by men, I believe it would depend on the man’s culture to decide if it would affect this documentaries view on women. Say if it was a man from a rural Muslim culture, such as this one, they’d most likely mediate the documentary to have a more positive view on men while stripping the women of the recognition they deserve. 2) Observational mode and Verite movement helps empower women because it largely restricts the amount of mediation that can be done to this documentary, and therefor gives the audience a greater sense of verisimilitude when they see these empowering women, knowing they are real people, making a real difference.

Critical Debates and Filmmakers’ Theories

1)This documentary is considered observational, meaning they stray from the use of narration and infographics, and instead act as a ‘fly on the wall’.

Through the use of observational documentary, Longinotto aims to build a relationship between the viewer and the subjects; to further immerse the spectator in the story to, as an end result, evoke an emotional response on the issue being exposed.

2)Cinema Verite, or ‘truth cinema’ is a style of documentary filmmaking that combines improvisation with the use of a camera to reveal a truth or highlight subjects hidden behind reality.

Sister in Law utilises these techniques to represent the truth as objectively as possible, freeing the viewer from deceptions in how those aspects of life were formerly presented to them. An example of the concept of ‘truth cinema’ being used in the film is during the court scenes. Instead of having direct interviews with the accused or the victims, or even a reporter addressing what happened in the courtroom, we are instead placed ‘inside’ the scene. We feel the same suspense that they do and as a result feel completely immersed in the situation.

Additionally, the scene in which Manka is brought into the course house depicting her horrific abuse; the spectator sees the whole story; start to finish; from when she was brought in, to where the abuser is sent to be arrested, the confrontation with the abuser, and finally the prosecution of the abuser. This establishes a close relationship between the viewer and the subjects and evokes the spectator to root for Manka. If this scene was done differently, with the use of narration for example, the catharsis wouldn’t be as effective, and this case would feel like one of many.

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

I feel as though the film would have a different reaction if the directors were men, although I feel as though men could still deliver in exposing the issues of child abuse and the mistreatment of women, the fact that the directors are women gives the audience a sense of women ‘taking back their liberty’ and a sense of female solidarity amongst a culture that is often male orientated.

The female perspective lends itself perfectly in aiding the narrative of the film, specifically in the scene where Vera Ngassa (prosecutor) is defending the victimised woman in court, single handily fighting against the very traditional views of the accused lawyer. The fact that she is a women gives the audience a sense of just how stunted the men are in feminist views, and how if she wasn’t there the men would come together and dismiss the abuse she went through.

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

Sisters in Law is an observational documentary, focusing on exposing the torment and mistreatment some women experience in Cameroon, Central Africa. The film manages to expose men’s fixed view on women as a result of tradition, how they are expected to be subservient to their husbands. One issue that Sisters in Law cover, is that of the belief that once women are married, their husbands have free rein over their body and freedom, meaning they are condoned to rape and abuse their wife whenever they please, additional to the belief that wives must ask for permission before leaving the house.

Sisters in Law also expose the controversy of African tradition; where some young girls and sent to be married right after primary school, they aren’t provided education or the concept of individuality, but are taught to be an extension of their husband.