Reenactments – Subjective Truth

In our film, we used reenactments in several instances. But why?

 

The use of reenactments emerged during collaboration with the protagonists on set. It became a way to depict the conflicts especially faced by women—conflicts that would remain invisible through traditional documentary approaches. It also allowed us to poetically navigate the censorship we had to respect for safety reasons. Ultimately, this opened a subjective space where the protagonists, as co-authors, could stage their experiences and tell their personal stories.

 

We discussed with Milo and Khalili the conflicts and evolution of their cinematic characters, and what parts of them would be visible on screen and what would not—how they would transition from real individuals to cinematic figures. As digital natives, they had a lot of experience with self-presentation, cinematic storytelling, and media.

 

This co-authorship also helped to explore the relationship with the Western audience and my perspective as a Western director. The conversation touched on topics such as Orientalism, activism, feminism, and religion. It was important to me that the protagonists retained control over how they were portrayed in the film.

 

Reenactments are a long-standing cinematic tool used to relive past experiences. They convey a deep emotional truth, allowing a character to remember and re-experience a moment. We strictly adhered to this understanding. None of the scenes are fabricated.

 

The film blends reenactments with classic documentary scenes. In editing and color grading, we brought the material into a unified form and cohesive rhythm. We wanted the layers to merge seamlessly, allowing the film to follow the emotional journey of the protagonists.