User Reviews

This documentary on Malalai Joya was an amazing inside look at the struggles Afghani and all Islamic face. When we think of Afghanistan we think more of the physical struggles with the Taliban and those who oppose the liberalism and democracy. This documentary reveals the real and true struggle and that is with the Afghani people trying struggling with their sometimes barbaric and traditional ways of life that leaves little or no rights to women. It portrays how the traditional followers of Islam vehemently oppose the liberal view of Islam that came to rise in this country with the arrival of the Americans and the west. Malalai Joya is one of many extremely brave women and men who daily face the threat of death in order to try and bring peace and order to a devastated and impoverished nation, abused by war, war lords, and oppressed sometimes by religion. I appreciated this documentary for the view it gave on the struggle for women's rights and people's rights and freedoms in that nation. It is a view that is seen less than the physical struggle yet the most important struggle in that nation is too bring the liberty and freedom to fulfillment.

In 2003, as Afghanis assembled at their Loya Jirga to draft a new Constitution, and Western politicians and pundits celebrated the advent of freedom and democracy in Afghanistan, one young woman stood up in front of the assembly and asked a question that nobody wanted to answer: Why were the warlords, drug lords, and Islamic fundamentalists who destroyed her country participating in the new government, instead of standing trial for their crimes?

This documentary follows that bold young woman, Malalai Joya, as she campaigns to be one of the first women elected to the Afghan Parliament. Driven by a fierce belief in democracy, Joya fights to improve the lives of her countrymen, but she faces determined opposition from the traditional tribal leaders who seek to consolidate their power and preserve a way of life that treats women little better than slaves. As a result, powerful people want her dead and she (ironically) has to wear a burqa in public for her own protection.

The only real flaw in "Enemies of Happiness" is that it's too short. The film ends on a hopeful note, but Joya was recently kicked out of the Parliament and the US State Department had to fight to get her an exit visa so she could attend the screening at the Silverdocs Festival. There is more to this story than what was captured on film. But director Eva Mulvad did an impressive job in a dangerous environment, and she deserves praise for bringing us this profile in courage.

The oppositional documentary entitled Enemies of Happiness wastes no time in laying out its hand in detailing the core of what it's about. In beginning with a political discussion-come-seminar in Afghanistan during which individual rights for women are at the forefront and the consequent anger the men exhibit at this, the piece establishes what it will come to revolve around; the problems the item faces and a general sense of politically infused content in starting in an assembly of sociological type. What follows is a tale of one woman, a true tale, of Afghan born female politician Malalai Joya and her plight in attempting to bring about a degree of gender equality where previously there was none. Her tale is a tale of personal belief but met with hostility; and through a camera crew whom it's believed has ties to Danish production companies, we follow her around for a certain number of months over the course of two years. In brief, we are immersed in her plight; frightened by the reactions of certain others within; saddened at some times but are still permitted to come away feeling rather joyous.

The documentary is like most recent films from The Middle East covering this subject of women's rights or gender equality, films that predominantly herald from the nation of Iran and that sees a very down to Earth; borderline neo-realist approach applied to a tale of a woman or young girl venturing from place to place in a Middle Eastern world just wanting to engage in the sorts of activity that comes so easily to her male counterparts, because of their gender, but usually failing in the long run. The films of this canon have always carried that odd balance between true to life tale and out-and-out film designed to raise awareness but ultimately dramatically involve us, first and foremost, in the plight of a protagonist. Few will question as to whether Jafar Panahai's Offside, which was released in 2006, works as a film – because it most certainly does, but one must remember the manner in which it was shot and that it was based on a true to life event anyway, thus blurring lines between what is a dramatic piece of fiction about the plight of a central character which lasts 90-odd minutes and what is actually a pseudo-documentary piece with larger things on its agenda.

On the other hand, Enemies of Happiness is most certainly a documentary; a piece about a real person I did not know existed prior to seeing it and actually thought it was a fiction film until its reality sank in. It subscribes to that Middle Eastern film making philosophy of shooting everything around a central female, here not wanting to go to a football match or to school (alá Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame) or whatever, but to move into politics and encourage feminism as well as gender equality in the nation of Afghanistan. In short, it does it really rather well. Joya begins with speaking directly into the camera, a verbal promise that she must leave her current zone and get out and about to spread the word when a sense of danger feels prominent. That was 2003, the documentary then jumping forward about a year and half and to 2005; a time in which we are suddenly greeted with the lead on a series of wanted posters complete with baying protesters seemingly wanting her borough to some kind of justice so as to stop the madness she's inflicting.

The film unfolds in a dry, dusty and hostile locale; flies buzz around its inhabitants and television and radio updates talk of attacks on the British soldiers, American soldiers and collaborating Afghan's located there. Hostility towards, and awareness of, unwanted people or items in certain forces seemingly attempting to come in and change ways of life or the nation itself is everywhere; nobody said Joya's quest would be easy. She visits a number of people, an elderly man has worn and blistered hands as a result of working in construction with the camera capturing the results of such graft and projecting such a scenario onto that of our female lead as she herself attempts to construct something in the form of an existence for women that'll surely see similar results of the strain manifest. One other such visit sees the documentary again draw on parallels to Joya's struggle, specifically, an interview covering that of an elderly woman; a woman with a tale of heroism in the face of death as she recounts her exploits against the invading Soviets during their war of the 1980s. Joya's own plight in the face of adversity is itself a war of sorts, a gender war; a war of traditional values against contemporary beliefs fought not with anti-tank mines, bolt action rifles and Kalashnikov rifles but with words and belief in a cause.

Joya is a living embodiment of the antithesis to the regime that rules her nation and the rules that they govern with. She addresses the camera, listing in a stark fashion the negatives of the current ruling bodies and how she would love to expose and expel them; the technique eerily echoes that of certain other basic, piece to camera recordings in front of blank backgrounds, those that are designed to strike fear into the West as threats and anti-life messages are broadcast from organisations within the nation. With Joya's speakings, the aesthetic and basic construction of the piece is the same but the content the complete opposite thus furthermore going on to suggest a binary oppositional stance to what is usually emoted although with similar levels of disdain towards a set situation. Where fear and terror is usually prominent, the content of Joya's political direct to camera video is of a fearful and political nature but focusing more on an elevating sense of equality rather than threats and execution. It's an engaging piece, providing an engaging account of a very brave person.

I had the lucky experience of meeting the director of this film at this year's Sundance film festival. What is truly extraordinary about this film is how incredible the cinematography is despite the hostile environment of Afghanistan it takes place in. The extremely small, all female crew had little equipment on their backs and still they succeeded in making this film incredibly beautiful in what seems to be one of the worlds worst places to be in right now. The film explores Mamalai Joya, a woman who fights for a change in Afghanistan from the drug and warlords that seemingly rule the streets. Mamalai reaches to the people and helps them through their problems. By the end of the film Mamalai reaches her goal and change finally takes place for her people.

Wow what a feat! You have not lived until you've seen Enemies Of Happiness!