State and Patriarchy

The “October Revolution” was an uprising of a young generation against a state that had abandoned them, overlooking their poor living conditions in favor of a neoliberal system and foreign powers. A broad swath of the population protested against a small elite, rejecting all sectarian and ethnic divisions. For the first time since 2003, a significant number of women also participated in the occupations of public squares. Their presence became central to the identity of the “October Movement”.

Iraq remains a gender-segregated society. Boys and girls attend separate elementary schools. In everyday life and within families, they are exposed to different realities, privileges, and conflicts. Intimate relations between men and women outside of marriage are prohibited. Most women lack the opportunity to move independently from their families and male companions, let alone determine or shape their own lives. In Iraq, women’s freedoms, opportunities for the future, and even dress codes depend on their families. The state or police rarely intervene in family matters. As a result, there is great diversity in the experiences of women in Iraq. While the lawyer in the film fights for women’s rights and can even stand up to tribal authorities, women like Milo, who belong to tribal families, are far more restricted. The difference lies in the fact that the lawyer comes from a family that supports her career, possibly one powerful enough to protect her, while Milo’s family subjects its daughters to conservative tribal laws, leaving them with few freedoms.

Both Khalili and Milo participated in the “October Revolution.” Both were present at Tahrir Square. While Khalili filmed the protests and the riot police with his camera, contributing his own powerful  perspective to the film, there are hardly any recordings of Milo at the protests—and if there are, she is heavily masked and unrecognizable. Like many other women, Milo had to keep her participation in the protests secret from her family. The barriers for women to raise their voices are significantly higher. They must first confront patriarchy before they can challenge the state.

In the film, I wanted to give space to these different forms of participation from women and men in the protests. Choosing only the female or only the male perspective seemed incomplete to me. That’s why I opted for the somewhat unconventional choice of having two protagonists. Their different conflicts and levels of visibility in their fight for a better, self-determined life reflect the heteronormativity that runs through the Iraqi society. During the occupations, the younger generation tried to break down gender segregation, fighting side by side for a shared future.