Trauma in the context of faith
Sometimes a new film comes out and its title alone grabs your interest. In a subtle way the recent film Women Talking does just that. The title doesn’t reveal anything about the setting or the subject matter, and this is key; we are drawn into the story with no preconceived ideas or opinions.
The simple title also plays another subtle role: it adjusts the viewers’ expectations. Ten minutes in, anyone expecting a fast-moving plotline or complex character development will be gently reminded that they are watching what was advertised: women talking.
This format makes the film unique and identifies a clear sense of purpose. The movie is made not merely to entertain, but to inform, and to generate discussion. And this discussion crosses boundaries.
The boundaries crossed are not only geographical (interesting note: the story is set in Bolivia but was filmed in Ontario, Canada), but also religious and gender-related. Canadian film-maker Sarah Polley, who won an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay, hopes the film will encourage more conversation and in some way work to heal divisions in our world.
The premise of the film is the sexual violation that occurred on a Bolivian Mennonite colony to numerous women. The conversation is picked up by the victims after these attacks/rapes have occurred.
The conversations take place secretly in the loft of a barn, the only safe forum where debriefing can happen as a group. This connects the viewer with the reality that is life for women on this colony: no power, no control, no voice in the seeking of justice. What comes through clearly is that even in the aftermath of these attacks, these women remain victims. Victims within a system dominated by religious rules, and men.
These hidden meetings provide the storyline of the film: How will these women respond to what has happened? A key feature of the film is that for the most part the only man visible in the scenes is a young man who records the minutes. Thus Women Talking is remembered for what is not included: men talking.
Within these conversations there is an honest, serious grappling with the repercussions of what has happened. How can we protect ourselves? How can we keep this from happening again? Is it safe to stay here? For women with very limited say in what happens day to day on the colony, these are pressing questions with no easy answers.
What is an even more poignant aspect of their desperate conversations is facing the experience of this trauma amidst the context of faith. As Christians, these women have known all their lives of the call to forgiveness and grace. How do they live faithfully and still seek justice and safety? What if forgiveness is never asked for? Does love require silence?
Then there are the colony rules. To leave the colony means being excommunicated. Could this mean they lose their hope of heaven? Are they denying their faith if they leave to seek safety? This desperate grappling is one of the strongest elements of the film. Because of the narrowness of the colony’s understanding of faithful Christianity, these women are caught facing urgent decisions, with eternal consequences and ultimate weight. Any Christian viewer will be met here with the important value of careful biblical teaching that can (and must) guide and direct these decisions. When human tradition trumps actual biblical teaching and doctrine, we stand under the critical warning of Jesus that we are nullifying God’s Word (see Mark 7:8–13).
The discussion is ongoing. The issues raised by this film are all around us. Viewers are invited into these conversations. Part of the message of Women Talking is that the talking needs to continue. All people of faith need to grapple with the role our faith plays in situations of pain, trouble and flagrant evil. Also, we do well come to grips with the devastating impact of physical and spiritual abuse.
