By Anand Holla
Not many know nor do they have the access to learn the whole story, history, and meaning of the hijab, the head and neck covering that Muslim women wear. In the times we live in, openly discussing the many fascinating facets to the headscarf becomes all the more imperative.
In the 78-minute-long documentary The Tainted Veil, filmmakers Nahla al-Fahad, Mazen al-Khayrat, and Ovidio Salazar, present a thought-stirring perspective on the hijab through the conflicting views of women's decision to wear it; women from countries and cultures across the world.
As part of Doha Film Institute's (DFI) Hekayat Khaleejiya series, The Tainted Veil will be screened at the Museum of Islamic Art auditorium at 7.30pm on Thursday – tickets are available on the DFI website. Dedicated to showcasing cinematic voices from the region, the quarterly series helps deconstruct the filmmakers' idea and creative vision by throwing open a discussion after the s creenings and also provides an important glimpse into the variety of emerging filmmaking talents in the Gulf.
Among other things, the documentary which was released late last year, aims to show that the hijab is an identity. "Whether a veil of the soul, the mind, or the body, the layers of the veil in history and the many meanings behind it will be revealed," the DFI says, in its note on the event, "The hijab is a head covering, and 'women are either judged for wearing the hijab or for not wearing it'. In The Tainted Veil, the challenges surrounding these ideas are exposed in a debate featuring diverse guests and extraordinary stories."
From explaining the tradition from a historical perspective, showing how the practice existed in cultures and religions long before Islam, to exploring its place in society or what it represents, the film builds a cohesive big picture by piecing together different viewpoints, including those of a Danish MP, a London martial-arts instructor and a former grand mufti from Egypt. Interviewees range from academics and scholars to Muslims, drawn from a wide cross section of cultures, many who encounter prejudice for practicing their own religious beliefs.
While Salazar filmed the interviews in 2008 across nine countries, al-Fahad and al-Khayrat worked on post-production much later on, in the UAE. Scores of interviewees, for instance, were sourced from countries including the UK, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Morocco and the UAE.
In his review of the issue-oriented documentary, Ben Kenigsberg wrote in The New York Times, "This documentary's subjects variously describe the garment as an expression of, and a denial of, femininity; a source of beauty and a concealment of it; a backward-looking symbol and a modern fashion accessory."
Early on, a mother and daughter argue about the hijab's merits, with the mother having decided to go without it, feeling that it makes her look old. Dr Ahmed Barqawi, identified as head of philosophy and social studies at Damascus University, frames the views over the hijab as, essentially, a conflict between different reasons for wearing it — ideological and personal.
Kenigsberg further points out, "Sarah Joseph, editor of Emel Magazine in Britain, considers her hijab an expression of religious identity in a country that's reserved about religion. As the movie trots through Europe and the Middle East, academics and clerics weigh in on the hijab's purpose and scriptural basis. Some interviewees note its changing use over time."
Salazar is a native of California who has been involved in documentary films for 20 years. Emirati filmmaker al-Fahad is regarded as one of the leading directors of commercials, entertainment, documentaries and music videos in the UAE and the Middle East. Abu Dhabi-based al-Khayrat is a Syrian director specialising in documentary making and has written, produced and directed documentaries and corporate videos on humanities, environment, culture and society.
As one of the directors, al-Khayrat, in an interview with Vision magazine said, "The unknown is what raises our interest and obscurity behind agitation and troubles, it becomes a fear of what is different.
The Tainted Veil is a discussion of knowledge of a certain topic, without adopting the cause itself, roaming through the interconnected ideas in history, religion and people to reveal a truth and the facts."
