NO TRAILER CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
First, the Recap:
Avoidable. Escapable. Evadable. For all the elements that life throws at us, we most likely feel fortunate upon doing our best to remain apart from that which seeks to harm us. Challenges arising are a given, that is simply fact. But, when the situations that become the ones which severely upend us, potentially to the most extreme of outcomes, what if it is apparent that it all COULD have been waylaid?
In an undisclosed country during an undisclosed time, a woman named Nadiya (Afsaneh Dehrouyeh) finds herself in self-imposed exile, literally locked in her family home’s wardrobe during a most momentous yet strenuous of times–the last moments of childbirth. Even as she strains, it reveals moments of both remembrance and jarring revelations that put an entirely different viewpoint on what it is to be alone yet unwavering in her labour.
Next, my Mind:
There is a question to pose here right off the bat–can seven minutes change the world, alter policy, and simply sink into the hearts and minds of those who have the ability to initiate resolution and transformation? It SHOULD, plus elicit a definitive answer of “YES!”, when considered through this amazingly executed and persuasively compelling short film from writer/director Ruby Phelan, producer Cheri Darbon, executive producer Professor Awino Okech, and associate producer Ethan McDowell. Arguably one of the most original, creative, and impactful executions to emphasize a core theme plus accompanying messages this critic has seen, the film, made in association with both UNPFA and FCRJ, candidly conveys its purpose with both affecting and evocative potency that leaves an enduring, NECESSARY, awareness-raising mark on your soul.
Told from the standpoint of one lone woman in the throes of childbirth having to not just confront her immediate circumstance, but also that which is occurring around her, the narrative becomes a blunt force exposé on the notions of desperate hope in the midst of outward and inward conflict that is so acutely profound. Its raw depiction of multi-layered pain and suffering in need of solace, the cleverness of precisely HOW this all comes about is the sheer beauty of indie cinema’s artistry and story-driven, influential, and inspired power to reshape our own perspectives as the viewer. Along these lines, this isn’t some random exercise in a “preachy” or overbearing approach, but rather one that utilizes the weighty magnitude of its foundational themes to unflinchingly and unapologetically make its points for genuine, and ideally action-inducing, contemplation via the importance its topic.
It is a, sadly, veritable fact that women who find themselves in locales involving either humanitarian crisis or direct conflicts are more in danger of death from pregnancy and/or difficulties in childbirth, BUT that are actually PREVENTABLE, is a statistical reality that lends further urgency and solemnity to the film’s ultimate objectives here, and therefore promotes reaching a far wider audience that is both societal and political. This is absolutely imperative FOR a film of this nature, it is MEANT to have that kind of attention-drawing gist so as to, again ideally, SEE actual transformation and/or evolution of governmental strategy so that data showcased after the film’s exceedingly jolting yet stirring finale will forever be fully eradicated or at minimum conspicuously reduced. This is also why the film’s partnership with UNFPA to aid in raising funds to send emergency birthing kits to women in these devastating conditions is SO significant.
The aforementioned finale the film offers, visually in particular, I felt transcended beyond the surface to be both a literal and metaphorical declaration of the hardships being exhibited, and again, it leaves you breathless and wholly reflective well after the credits have rolled by. Additional thematic ventures this critic felt get screen time here focus on the depth of connection with memories, the subsequent things that take us to those better days, the value of family, facing isolation in the harshest of scenarios that yet holds renewal and reassurance of new beginnings, the strength of the human spirit to persevere against the odds, and the actualities of strife with its unforgiving consequences all get illustrated throughout the film’s abbreviated runtime, which only serves to allow the substance of the film’s aspirations come to even more disarmingly vivid life.
I came to the realization when doing my initial research into the film’s singular cast member that I HAD seen the actress before through another equally captivating, socially aware, Oscar and BAFTA qualified short film entitled “Yellow” (read the review) back in 2023. Without any hesitation whatsoever I can state once more that Dehrouyeh utterly, dynamically shines, this time with a an even more pronounced degree of evident, emotionally volatile energy and gravitas that burns with an intensity both understated and explosive through her role here as Nadiya. Voluntarily locked inside a wardrobe while in the midst of birthing labours’ final stages, Nadiya experiences a mix of pain, loneliness, and reminiscing while also having to confront an even darker reality happening outside her sequestered state of being and makeshift shelter.
Grasping onto ANY semblance of what is to come, what the future might hold, and the acceptance that it will not be an easy road yet still perhaps filled with immensely needed belief, reassurance, and prospects of things to get better, Nadiya’s true actuality, once revealed, is unnerving and poignant at the same time as a new life is born. Dehrouyeh’s performance so deftly amplifies every nuance of emotive power and situational reactions the character encounters with completely convincing, thought-provoking plausibility. Period. So, in total, “The Woman In The Wardrobe” delivers a visceral, impelling, relevant, steadfastly uncompromising cry for change and deeper magnitudes of compassion in order to be a catalyst for ACTION to be taken on a larger scale. If we as humanity can embrace this, then something profound can be birthed out of the devastation far too many women are facing–an unprecedented awakening and freedom they’ve never known.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
