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THE DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET by Kim Longinotto is both a disturbing and compelling documentary film about female genital cutting. It tells the story of women and girls who have been subjected to it or who can expect to undergo it, and of those fighting against or advocating it.
In Kenya, as in many other countries, female genital cutting has been banned and yet it continues to be practiced there and elsewhere. Genital cutting is an attack on the inviolability of the female body and is an immensely dangerous and potentially fatal procedure that can result in lifelong pain and serious complications during childbirth. In many societies, a woman will not be accepted into her community unless she has been circumcised.
Original Title: The Day I Will Never Forget
Language:
Somali, Swahili with German subtitles
Country of Origin: Great Britain
Year : 2002
Duration: 92 Min.
Color
Director: Kim Longinotto
Camera: Kim Longinotto
Editing: A. Willsmore
Sound: M. Milton
Music: C. WInston
Production: Vixen Films, Kim Longinotto
Festivals: Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival, Toronto (CA), One World Berlin (D), Britspotting (D
Awards: 2004: Costa Azul Award, Festróia, Tróia International Film Festival (GR); 2003: Award of the German Unions Association, Emden International Film Festival; nominated for Best Documentary, European Film Awards, Canvas Prize, Gent Viewpoint Documentary Film Festival; Humanitarian Award, Hong Kong International Film Festival2002: Amnesty International DOEN Award, IDFA; Best Documentary UK Spotlight, Hot Docs Documentary Film; Special Mention, Barcelona Human Rights International Film Festival; Humanitarian Award for Outstanding Documentary, Hong Kong International Film Festival; Time of History Jury Awards Second Prize, Valladolid International Film Festival; Best Documentary, Britspotting, British Independent Film Festival Berlin; Best Documentary, Festival International de Films de Femmes de Creteil; Best Film, Viewpoint Documentary Film Festival;Best Documentary; Dakar Film Festival, Senegal; WIN Award for Best Documentary Film; Best International Documentary, Tursak Film Festival Istanbul; Best Documentary, 2nd Prize, Torino Women's Film Festival
THE DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET is dedicated to the pioneering work of the women and girls in Kenya's villages and cities who have courageously spoken out against female genital cutting and are fighting to put an end to this dangerous practice. We hear from women whose lives have been directly affected by genital mutilation and the suffering it causes. The film delves into the complex history of this traditional practice and explores not only the conflicts arising from it but also the progress being made in social awareness. The director Kim Longinotto employs her documentary camera to participate in the lives of these women. She goes beyond simply recording opinions about genital cutting. For example, one woman talks about how she supplies her husband with mistresses because she is convinced that men have different needs than women do.
Preparing for the wedding
There is also the midwife who hopes to assuage the suffering of young girls by gently dissuading their parents from resorting to the procedure. We also witness an elderly matron performing genital cutting which is so unbelievably painful that it requires four other grown women to keep the screaming girl patient on the ground . We hear not only the old woman's justification for performing this brutal work but also that of the girl's parents. They cite an argument for having their children cut that is repeated again and again: to ensure acceptance into the community. Finally, we learn of the nine year-old girl who, directly after her circumcision, is given over to an old man with whom she should share a bed. The young girl manages to escape and is now living far away from her family. Having been denied an education up till now, she wants to to start a new life by going to school.
We also see a group of young girls who sue their parents for neglect, claiming they were cut against their will. The film shows how these girls - without a hint of revolutionary gratuitousness - question the senseless suffering inflicted in the name of tradition. These young women and girls are courageously changing a small part of what has gone wrong in the world and their resistance has had the power to affect the entire culture of the country. –
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| 1. | Totally Wired | (7) |
| 2. | Weightless | (6) |
| 3. | Cold Waves | (5) |
| 4. | The Day I Will Never Forget | (4) |
| 5. | Video Out | (4) |
