Women talk about the ‘Face of Violence’
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Did you know that not all treatment expenses of women subjected to acid attacks are met by the state and their some requests are considered to be "aesthetics"? Or did you know that the men who carry out the attacks are put on trial for "injury", sometimes even for "actual bodily harm"?
Three women attacked by men with chemicals such as acid talk about the hardships they face and their requests in the "Face of Violence".
Directed by Esra Açıkgöz and Kenan Özer, the documentary film will be screened at the 12th Sama International Film Festival in Sweden on November 26-28, 2021 and at the Human-Environment Care Film Festival in the Netherlands on November 27.
In Turkey, the documentary will be screened at the Atlas 1948 Cinema on November 26 and at Kadıköy Cinema on November 28 as part of the 11th International Crime and Punishment Film Festival.
The documentary film debuted at the Sguardi Altrove International Women's Film Festival in Italy on October 26, 2021.
"Face of Violence" documentary focuses on one of the cruelest attacks, acid attacks, carried out by men to keep the women in the house, to put an end to women's "visibility" in the society by not killing them but by "spoiling" their "appearance", to prevent the women from being desired by others.
The documentary shows how the chemicals such as acid and nitric acid turn into a weapon in the hands of men. In the documentary, three women that are attacked with acid —one of them wanted a divorce from the attacker, the other one didn't love the attacker back, and the last one left the attacker— tell their stories, difficulties they faced and voice their demands.
Speaking about why they wanted to shoot this documentary, Esra Açıkgöz says, "This is the narrative of the women who have managed to move on with their lives despite men's cruel attacks and torture. There are three women in the documentary, but, in fact, it is the concern and struggle of us all, millions of women."
Kenan Özer summarizes the women's requests in the documentary as follows:
The state considers the aesthetic surgeries to be undergone by women due to the damage inflicted to their faces and bodies to be a luxury. The women demand, among others, that their aesthetic operations be carried out free of charge, the criminals be put on trial on charge of attempted killing and women be given priority in employment.
Marina, Berfin, Melahat...Marina Lakvekheliani is a citizen of Turkey from Georgia. In 2017, she was subjected to an acid attack by her boyfriend because she broke up with. Her wounds have healed after a long process of treatment. However, she is still getting psychological treatment and lives with tranquilizers and sleeping pills. Berfin Özek was subjected to the acid attack of her ex-boyfriend on her way back from the course to her house in İskenderun in 2019. She loses one eye. The other can see by 50 percent. Melahat Üzümcü was subjected to the acid attack of her husband whom she sued for divorce. Attacked shortly after she left her home for work in Isparta in May 2020, her ear partly melted off and the veins in her hands and face were severely damaged. She and her three children are struggling for survival. |
(AÖ/SD)