A Struggle For A Voice.
“Height of The Kite” is a short documentary film directed by Mehraneh Salimian and Amin Pakparvar that explores the gender and racial discrimination women face in the Afro-Asian communities of rural Balochistan on the Iran-Pakistan border.
The film in observation style focuses on Fariba, a teenage girl with aspirations of singing in public, a privilege only afforded to males in society.
Fariba‘s dream to take part in the public singing competition for young talents, as inspired by her famous half-brother, sets the stage for the film’s central conflict. In the film, we see her watching his videos and singing along to his songs. She wants to replicate this same type of public success. However, the societal rules against women singing publicly form an almost insurmountable barrier. It’s not a lack of talent that holds Fariba back, but rather the rigid gender norms and racial discrimination deeply embedded in her community.
Her mother shares with her about a time when she too wanted to partake in a public singing contest but was not allowed to sing publicly. She talks about how she was able to win a competition with a recording of her voice played. This conversation captures the persistence of this gender discrimination.
The cameras follow the mother and her daughter as they make their way to a public gathering where there will be singing performances. As the two continue to interact, we see further into the complexities of the battle that the young singer would have to face to be able to finally get to sing in public.
There is a brief interaction between Fariba and her brother the famous singer. Their encounter reveals the awkwardness in their relationship stemming from gender disparities, subtly reinforcing the central issues of the film.
“Height of the Kite” is concise, running under 30 minutes, yet it effectively paints a vivid picture of Fariba’s struggles and that of all Afro-Asian women in Balochistan.
The filmmakers excel in presenting her situation, capturing the essence of the herculean task she faces in challenging societal constructs that seem impossible to change. However, much of the film’s significance lies beneath the surface. The observational narrative relies heavily on the conversations between Fariba and her mother to convey the severity of gender discrimination. This subtle approach may require viewers to engage in additional research to fully grasp the socio-political context shaping the narrative.
Without this extra layer of understanding, some viewers might miss the depth of the issues at play. The Afro-Asian community is marginalized within Balochistan and their women particularly face more discrimination. But is not just as simple as that, there are even government prohibitions against women singing.
The narrative could benefit from some more clarity and emphasis that would explicitly ensure the viewers of the film, no matter who can fully appreciate the gravity of the situation.
Despite these shortcomings, “Height of the Kite” shines technically, especially with its sound design. The dialogue between subjects is clean, and the music and singing are woven in exquisitely. The subtitles for the songs Fariba and her mother sing enhance the viewer’s understanding and appreciation of the messages conveyed through music.
Ultimately, “Height of the Kite” poignantly highlights the glaring disparities in gender equality and the ongoing struggle for self-expression. Just like kites, these women are tied down and not allowed to soar and live their lives to their fullest potential.
Even with its shortfalls, the film is impactful. It manages to use Fariba’s challenges as a conduit to present an emotionally resonant narrative. As she struggles to find her voice, she speaks for many like her who are just victims of society’s unfairness.
I would score this documentary film 3 out of 5 stars, recognizing its significant contribution to the discourse on gender and racial discrimination.
Catch the film at the Durban International Film Festival: https://ccadiff.ukzn.ac.za/diff45/height-of-the-kite/
Screening Schedule:
25 July 17:00 Suncoast 7
28 July 14:00 Gateway 9
Author: Tony Asankomah
This review emanates from the Talent Press programme, an initiative of Talents Durban in collaboration with the Durban FilmMart Institute and FIPRESCI. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author (Tony Asankomah) and cannot be considered as constituting an official position of the organisers.
