Saving Face Response

I definitely noticed similarities between The House is Black and Saving Face. Both of these films were more like documentaries about tragic problems in the Middle East. The people in the films were tragically altered physically by these conflicts. In a way both of these groups of people were forced to live this life. The burned victims were attacked by family members and had no control of the situation. The leprosy victims were shunned and forced to leave which only worsened their mental and physical state. These victims did not like their appearance and both groups took steps to make themselves better. The acid victims got plastic surgery and the leprosy victims got physical therapy and other medical procedures. They were both showing signs of being ashamed at the way they appeared. The women looked in the mirror at her face taken over by disease and could not recognize herself. The woman in the acid film used to love taking pictures but no longer did once she was burned. Lastly, in both documentaries there were individuals who accepted their situation and even reached out to others with the same problems. They helped keep one another’s hopes up.

            From an American perspective I was shocked by what I saw. I never realized that the laws and court system were so bad in the Middle East. They did nothing to help women and most men walked free on all charges. I also did not realize that a woman could be a lawyer in the Middle East and be taken seriously. I thought women were forced to be submissive and in the background. This was also why I was shocked at how vain the women could be. They genuinely cared about their appearance even though they cover much of their bodies. They joked around and painted their nails. They have the same attachments to their children that we in America do. This shocked me because I always saw them as being strict and not emotional. They did not seem to ever spoil their children or show motherly love. However, in the film I saw a bit of that.

            I think it is hard to respect another culture if you do not have an open mind. You need to be willing to see situations from other perspectives and viewpoints. I think we as Americans can be so closed minded and opinionated that we do not allow others to explain their views or reasoning. We can only respect others if we learn why they do what they do and how it appeals to their lifestyle. We may not like their views or agree with them, but we have to accept that these are their customs.