Saving Face

As it was discussed in class, Saving Face had a happy ending that has not occurred in most of the films we have viewed so far, and that was a pretty big relief.

The one thing I think I am enjoying most about this class is that it is opening my eyes to films that I can honestly say I would not have watched if they weren't a requirement. But I am very glad to have the opportunity to learn about these issues that go unnoticed by so many people. Until Saving Face I had no idea that acid attacks were even a, for lack of a better term, "thing". I had no idea that something so horrible could happen to people. In terms of The House is Black, I had knowledge of leprosy, but had never really taken the time to learn about it.

The first connection beyond the horrible situations that these people faced that I drew from the movies, was how trapped the victims were. The were (and are) stuck in situations where they could not find very much hope.

But the second connection I made was the hope that could be found in the people dealing with these situations. In The House is Black, the hope was not quite as obvious, but when you looked at the children you could see their pure happiness despite their situation. The children found things to live for and in some ways that inspired hope in the adults of the community and the viewers of the film that things may one day be okay. In Saving Face hope was visible everywhere. Although the situations of the women were terrible and completely unfair, they fought so that other women would not have to face what they faced, and that in and of itself is inspiring.