I saw the 2022 Oscar nominated live action short films this week. They were all thought provoking and I am so glad I don’t have to pick the winner because each covers a difficult topic in a heart-wrenching, memorable way. One, in particular, was notable to me because I’m a woman.
“Ala Kachuu – Take and Run,” written and directed by Maria Brendle, is about a young woman who is kidnapped and forced into marriage – a custom still widespread in Kyrgyz society.
Set in Central Asia, this poignant story shares the struggles of a young scholar who wants to go to college but her family and culture dictate that she should marry and have a family instead. Even though she is intelligent and driven, her wishes are shunned and force a wedge between she and her family. After stolen from her previous life and forced to marry a stranger, her repeated attempts to flee are disregarded by both her parents and her new family. She is expected to simply accept, and even appreciate, her fate.
Living in my bubble of freedom here in the United States, I sometimes forget just how lucky I have it. I can vote, work, own property, choose whether to marry and/or have children, and make my own decisions. I do not have to beg anyone’s permission to live my life the way I choose. It’s a luxury I wish all women could enjoy. It’s a right all women should have.
Photo courtesy of Nithi Anand.