Filmmaker Mary Olive Smith addresses the troubling topic of obstetric fistula by detailing the arduous journey that many Ethiopian women make to reach the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in an attempt to end their constant misery and overcome the pressing sense of shame that is often associated with the disorder. Every year obstetric fistula affects at least two million women across the globe. A result of neglected childbirth, obstetric fistula is a hole that forms between the vagina and the
bladder (and occasionally the rectum) in incidents of prolonged, obstructed labor. In addition to incontinence, obstetric fistula can also result in nerve damage, and, occasionally, the inability to bear future children. Ethiopian women afflicted with obstetric fistula must travel for days and spend a virtual fortune on bus fare simply to receive treatment. By detailing the harrowing birth stories and subsequent journeys of five women who decide to reclaim their dignity by traveling to Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital and receiving the free treatment offered by doctors Reginald and Catherine Hamlin, Smith offers hope to the women who have been shunned by family and neighbors while opening the world's eyes to a pressing problem that many are simply too embarrassed to discuss. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A complex and quietly devastating indictment of chauvinist societies that see women as lovers, mothers and servants, and treat anyone who canā(TM)t fulfill those roles as a nonperson.
If pic's B.O. potential seems slight, the same can't be said of the film's impact on awareness of Africa, altruism and the lifelong misery caused by reparable medical conditions in areas where the closest road can mean a three-day hike.
Five young Ethiopian women doomed to social ostracism and physical misery because of 'obstetric fistulas' walk miles to get treatment and reclaim their lives, and in doing so, march straight into our hearts.
... a beautiful and uplifting film...[and] Ethiopia has never appeared more beautiful than in this film's cinematography by Smith, Tony Hardmon and Jerry Risius.
This is the real life that young African natives face, emotionally told by 5 young women, devastated and isolated by obstetric fistula, and their hopeful search for a cure.
[Director Mary Olive] Smith makes no pretense of keeping a dispassionate distance from her subject: Her film is an unabashed call to action that shines a spotlight on a problem whose intimate medical nature relegated it to the shadows.
At times, it becomes reminiscent of the well-meaning but racist documentaries of the distant past and suffers from an unintentionally patronizing Nanook of the North syndrome.
Had it stuck with more of the community on which it was based, and less on how generous a few foreign doctors are, it would be easier to remember and root for the individual women by their names.
Fernando Meirelles take note: an honest and unvarnished portrayal of your subject, no matter the intended audience, is the most optimal path toward enlightenment and empathy.
Lushly photographed and carried along by a spirited score featuring both Ethiopian and Western music, but the film's most striking element proves to be the women at its center.
Heartbreaking yet hopeful. One never realizes how lucky they are until they see what others go through... and this film really shows what it's like for these women. Congrats to those that run the hospitals and donate their time and energy into such a great purpose.
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