We are no strangers to violence against women. People in this century did not see any great battles, but what we witnessed was deadlier than anything we expected to see in our lifetime: the COVID pandemic. The pandemic was undoubtedly scary, but what surpassed the horror of the deadly virus was the violence. Gender violence significantly increased during the pandemic. After the declaration of the lockdown, several women reported that they were physically and sexually assaulted on a regular basis. Children were also a part of the horror story. This once again proved that patriarchy is still vividly functional in society. There is no class division in patriarchy, and each time the human race was challenged, it was women who had to pay the price.
The final installment of the series “African Folktales Reimagined”, a Netflix series in association with UNESCO, delivers how difficult it is to be a woman. The film is titled “MaMlambo” and is directed by South African director Gcobisa Yako. The visuals of the film are very powerful, and they will leave you sleepless. The first theories of feminism are believed to date back to ancient Greece and the medieval era. However, there are four distinct waves of feminism, the first of which began in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Even after so many decades, patriarchy looks down on women and laughs at the face of feminism. The right to equality is written all over several constitutions across the globe. but they forgot to include women in it. Thus, this story is filled with mysticism and unnatural events. In a way, they portray exactly how women’s rights are in this world.
Spoilers Ahead
Suicide And Salvation
The story opens with the narrator telling the audience a mythical story about a being who lived on both land and water. The being possessed certain divine powers. People on the land made a pact that the being would fulfill their hearts desires. But their greed made them despise her and exile her to the River of No Return. Soon we see a woman floating on a river. On the other hand, another woman was crossing the bridge that had a warning sign. As she crossed the bridge, she kept walking through the woods and reached another signboard that read “River of No Return”, She kept walking and finally reached the edge of a waterfall. Finally, she jumped off the cliff and tried to take her life.
But her life was saved by the woman who was floating on the river. She carried her inside her hut and treated her with herbs and all-natural medications. She bandaged her wounds, and she began smoking a pipe. Surprisingly, the smoke was exhaled from the wounded woman’s mouth.
Mysteries Of The River And The River Woman
The wounded women woke up the next morning to hear disturbing male voices. As she woke up, she was confused about where she was. As she met the river woman, she was angry at her for saving her life. She accused her of stealing her chance to finally free herself from the pain of her life. The river woman tried to explain to her, but she began coughing. Earlier, we had seen her bleeding while coughing. The river woman asked the wounded woman to bring her water. As she went back inside the house to get water, the river woman disappeared. Amanda, the wounded woman, was worried and scared. After some time, she found the river woman on a rock near the river. As Amanda approached her angrily, she said something of a prayer to her, which Amanda seemed to know.
The next morning, Amanda began discovering the place and came upon a graveyard where the river woman was standing. She called Amanda by her name, which took her by surprise. The river woman said that she knew a lot of things, but she fell ill again.
That night, Amanda was introduced to a number of herbs that soothe the body and the mind. Amanda had a nightmare about the man again and woke up. Seeing the river lady by her side, she finally went back to sleep. The next morning, the river lady pointed at the body of another woman from afar, and she said that taking care of these women who die by suicide was her responsibility. Amanda began to understand that she was not alone; there were millions of other women who were suffering the same pain.
The river woman realized that it was her turn to leave, and Amanda is fit enough to take care of the mystic river after her. Soon, we see Amanda taking care of the river like the woman before her. She was happy living alone and living her life for other women who needed her.
‘African Folktales Reimagined’ Episode 6 Review
The film, at the beginning, talks about a divine entity, and this divine entity is a woman. A woman who is the face of every woman in the world. They are like river people. Women can take any form, like water. She is also firm as the land, doing exactly what she is supposed to do. But women are being used as a tool to satisfy the desires of men. As soon as men are satisfied, they discard women and leave them to die. The film clearly shows how important it is for a woman to root for others. The former river woman was a therapist, a healer, and a friend that Amanda needed after being the victim of domestic violence. The film wonderfully narrates how women are forced to commit suicide because that is their last resort towards liberation. Domestic violence, or any violence against gender, is the most horrible social affair. Fight against gender violence and make the world a better place.