A Sisters’ Tale
(Switzerland, France, Iran, 93 min.)
Dir. Leila Amini
Programme: TIFF Docs (International premiere)
There’s a spellbinding intimacy at the heart of Leila Amini’s A Sisters’ Tale. Rich in carefully observed detail, this filmmaker’s visual stylings capture her deep bond with the subject, her beloved sister Nasreen. Amini becomes the vessel for her sister’s diaristic confessional. Normally, such candour might result in a captivating meditative doc in its own right, but in this film, the onlooker becomes equally absorbed into the private sanctuary of sibling love. Secrets are shared aloud here with no frightening consequences.
What’s remarkable about A Sisters’ Tale is the way the filmmaker extends a verité portrait of a struggling individual into a larger view of their socio-political context. As women living in Iran, there are certain difficult realities that they must endure. Nasreen’s openness as she shares her innermost thoughts is breathtaking. Even more engaging is how, as the film unfolds, Amini is careful to establish a ripple effect, creating a more universal experience of hopes and dreams dashed, and identity denied.
Filmed over seven years, the filmmaker documents Nasreen’s dream of becoming a singer. This is a dangerous desire in their society. Woman in Iran are banned from singing in public and, although it’s risky, Nasreen is persistent. As the filmmaker records her sister’s determination to fully come into her own, she includes scenes of clandestine lessons and meetings, and even recording sessions in which Nasreen hones her craft. Sometimes, there are men who willingly help Nasreen and guide her in her quest, to the point where in one case, the coach meets her in a car in what they think is a deserted park so that no one will see or hear them.
Other men are supportive but not Naseen’s husband. On top of being trapped in a misogynist society where her creative passion is forbidden, Nasreen must also contend with a loveless marriage to Mohamad, a deeply traditional man who shows little interest in anything outside of soccer and his work. She even undergoes cosmetic surgery to please him, yet he can’t even be bothered to wait at the hospital. This is a society where men hold all the power and command respect no matter their behaviour.
Since her father died, Nasreen and her mother and sisters have only this one man in their lives. It becomes clear that in some ways life is simply easier with Mohamad. In such a traditional society, these women need the protection of or at least the presence of a male. But the situation is untenable in many ways.
Mohamad was more thoughtful and caring while the elder man was alive but now, without the presence of that patriarch, he seems to do and say whatever he wants. He and Nasreen fight constantly. It’s the children who suffer in these moments: Amini is careful to include shots of their distraught, tear-stained faces. However, Nasreen is reminded time and time again by her mother and her sisters (including the filmmaker) that if she leaves him, not only will the children endure more pain, but so will they all.
For much of the film, Amini holds the camera herself. She keeps it tight on her sister with images that are often uncomfortably close. They are extreme but they capture the sincerity of Nasreen’s confessions, and the piercing rawness of her emotions. The resulting visuals are often fragmented and fractured. There are times that the view is skewed as she puts the camera down or passes it to their other sister as she rushes to embrace Nasreen in her anguish.
With A Sisters’ Tale, the viewer enters a world shrouded in secrecy. Many of the images are constructed to give the effect of peering into a hidden place, using either darkness or an obstructed field of vision. This intimate experience between sisters thus envelops the viewer and forges a bond with the subject. Despite the personal upheaval particular to Nasreen’s world, the film ripples out from the personal into the political with a nuanced and steadily assured hand. Nasreen’s candour, and increasingly that of those closest to her, is alarming at times, considering the situation, but it is obvious that these courageous women are well aware of what they must do and are ready to fight their circumstances.
A Sisters’ Tale is one of those intimate docs that can leave a viewer wondering whether they should keep watching. It’s like disturbing a sanctuary. Sometimes there’s even a discomfiting feeling that it’s not right to eavesdrop on such secret conversations or to intrude on these more private moments. But these thoughts fade quickly with the unspoken realization that this is one of those eye-opening films that make cinema so engaging: the kind that acts a testament to the subject’s inner strength and should serve as inspiration for others.
