Film Festival Reviews

Human Rights Watch Film Festival Review: “In Search…” Follows A Woman Who Revisits Her Painful Past To Gain What Was Taken In Childhood


 

A courageous and determined young woman talks about her experiences going through Female Genital Mutilation and the need to undergo reconstructive surgery on her genitals.

As I listened to a woman describe her experience as a frightened little girl being held down and forced to have her genitalia cut off with a razor blade out in the woods, my body tensed and my legs clenched as tight as they could until I eventually rolled to one side trying to escape the imagery of pain. Female Genital Mutilation or (FGM) is a practice that has been passed on for many generations, occurring primarily in African countries but also in parts of Asia and the Middle East. It is an unimaginable painful violation that involves deliberately cutting off the women’s genitalia, in my opinion as another sick twisted way for insecure men to control women; their version of the story is to reduce sexual urges and ensure virginity before marriage. Because this particular female body part is assumed to lead to insatiable sexual desires, removing it and any surrounding areas are said to reduce all sexual urges.

Director Beryl Magoko decided at just ten years old to undergo FGM not knowing that she had a choice. She describes the shame surrounding her decision, her mother not being present and still dealing with the aftermath. Deliberating whether to undergo reconstructive surgery to restore what was removed, Beryl interviews many women who have gone through the same trauma as well as those who underwent reconstructive surgery to regain their life back. The stories seem to mirror one another as they all remembered the excruciating pain, feeling inadequate, handicapped and guilt. As I listened, I feel enraged that these little girls weren’t protected and there were no men, not even their fathers, who stood against this brutal act. I asked myself, how can a young child be held responsible for making such a life-altering decision? Will any of these women ever truly heal and trust anyone again? Will they have healthy relationships or sex lives? Notonly did the circumcision affect their mental and emotional health but it also caused a myriad of physical problems like excessive cramps, bleeding, and infections that may never go away.

When Beryl returns to Kenya to visit her family, having never spoken one word about the experience to her mother, she re-opens the conversation and begins her journey to healing as she listens to her mother account her own experience and pain with FGM. As Beryl finally decides to undergo the surgery, she gains a lot of encouragement and strength through other supportive survivors and an organization in Kenya that helps women in the community that have gone through similar experiences. Beryl also meets another patient, post-surgery, that was such an inspiration. She speaks about gaining the power that was taken away from her, getting through the past and finally healing herself. It was so uplifting to hear and know that there are so many others out there who are creating new lives for themselves in spite of their past, knowing they don’t have to live in shame any longer. An amazingly brave documentary that is heartfelt, touching and powerful!

 

“In Search…” recently premiered at the 2019 Human Rights Watch Film Festival

 

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Malika Harris

Malika is a Writer from NYC who loves movies and talking about them.