GIRLS OF THE SUN is a film that portrays the lives of Kurdish women who were sex-trafficked by ISIS and escaped to become soldiers against them. Over the course of the film, the audience learns about these incredible women who changed their presumed role of victims into fearless soldiers, the battlegrounds varying from derelict areas of ISIS control to the women’s own bodies. Eva Husson’s film manages to avoid portraying the women using an invasive glare and instead produces a war film that reveals their true strength. It is, however, not without fault.
Husson presents the women of the painful history of Kurdistan with great respect, however, there are moments when she allows Hollywood tropes to infect the film and sugar coat the hideous nature of this past and present. The women’s pain is often used gratuitously to create emotional distress in the audience for artistic impact and not for the benefit of the women’s histories.
We should be shown the horrific nature of the torture these women had to endure, but these scenes should not be for the audience to gawk at. They should be moments for these women to be given their liberty back, to show that they survived. These moments were frequently uncomfortable, not just because of the known violence that occurred but because it feels as though we are voyeurs, complicit in the crimes.
The ending of the film leads the audience to believe all is now well for the women and the lead protagonist, Bahar, has found her son. This is not a responsible telling of this history given that ISIS has not been defeated and the effects of their war are still felt the world over. The thousands of women and children trafficked by ISIS are not safe and the war is not over. GIRLS OF THE SUN had an opportunity to give an international platform to these women but often allowed them to be re-violated for the purpose of creating an emotional hit with the audience.
Despite these oversights, the film has its plus points. It is impeccably shot and the actresses cannot be faulted. Their ability to portray their emotions through very simple dialogue showcases their dedication to the art form and the women they are portraying. The film excelled in the moments where the soldiers were showing companionship, as the intimacy created revealed how brave these women were and the strength they received from each other.
GIRLS OF THE SUN is not a bad film – far from it – but it has a mission to tell a story and often falls victim to the allure of classic mainstream cinema. It is important that these painful histories are not forgotten or, worse, glossed over and sensationalised to provide an easier or entertaining watch. Show the world just how ugly it was, do not give us a happy ending so that we can sleep at night knowing our favourite character was ok in the end. Show us what really happens to the majority of women, to the women left behind, to the child not strong enough to fight back, to the women who couldn’t take the abuse anymore. Show us the truth so that we no longer sit back and take comfort in how far away this past is. It’s not far away, it’s here, it’s happening to women in our world and we must face the brutality being suffered under our watch. However, when you show us these stories, you must do it for those people. Let their story be told on their terms, and not for the mainstream audience who needs comfort – those they are watching were never granted the same pleasure.