By Ali Grutchfield
In Congolese culture, being born a woman is a sin that is only exacerbated by deafness or other disabilities. Throughout their lives, women face constant oppression and abuse that they have no choice but to live with. Inner Me is a short human rights documentary, directed by Antonio Spanò, that explores the lives and stories of 4 deaf women living in the Republic of Congo.
This is an existence most people can’t relate to. Spanò gives these women the platform they deserve, in the hopes of people simply listening. The unfortunate lives of these women is most aptly put when one woman, Stuka, describes the major events in her life as the times she has died. She has died twice. Her stories suggest that she was robbed of everything human and treated as worthless. Hence, Stuka feels her life can only be described as death.
Sadly, Stuka’s story is not unique from the other women’s. They all tell stories riddled with sadness, isolation, and abuse. Time and time again they are told they are worthless and everything they do is wrong. Stuka’s father was upset when he thought she looked like a prostitute as if nothing could be worse. One of the other women was specifically asked to be a prostitute by her family in order to bring in more money.
Spanò’s intermingling of montage footage with the women’s interviews is a beautiful balance that forms a stunning documentary. It’s admirable the way he allowed the women to tell their own stories, rather than tell them through his own lens. This is not only a story of deafness, but a story of 4 deaf women living in a society that does not value them.
I’d give Inner Me 4.5/5 stars.
Ali Grutchfield is a junior pursuing Film and Television Production at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She spends her time producing both visual and written content for District, the school’s online news platform, being President of the SCAD’s Film Club, producing and editing student films, reading mystery novels, and drinking coffee with her cat, Jingle.
Recent Comments