Loading ...Film Review: "On the Bride's Side" … A Refreshing Twist Missing the Personal Depth
In March 2015, the Syrian revolution entered its 5th year. It has been four years of a war that killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people, let alone the millions that were injured and displaced. Those responsible for all the killing do not seem to get enough, as no solution appears in the horizon. So, the Syrian tragedy continues, and in some way, the world has become so immune to all those horrible scenes of death and injuries to the point that it does not sympathize anymore.
To reflect on what is going on in Syria, a number of filmmakers, Syrians and non-Syrians, tried to show the tragedy through cinema. Such films include Return to Homs by Talal Derki, Red Lines by Andrea Kalin and Oliver Lukacs, and On the Bride’s Side by Khaled Soliman Al Nassiry, Antonio Augugliaro and Gabriele Del Grande.
On the Bride’s Side premiered recently in the US. It’s a documentary about a trip a group of Palestinians and Syrians take to Europe to reach Sweden after fleeing war in Syria. They are being helped by a group of Italian journalists and friends. The main theme in the film is to help this group cross borders by “faking a wedding!” Nice twist!
There was much effort put in to making this film, and technically speaking, it’s a good one! The directors have focused a lot on symbols, such as the white dress that the bride wears throughout the trip. There is also the happy celebration at the end of the film that reflects through music and actions Syrian weddings in their traditional manners.
The filmmakers have also focused on the characters telling their own accounts of terrible stories they went through before reaching Europe. There were people who came to Europe through illegal ways, and saw others dying in the sea to make a dream come true. Others told stories of how a peaceful Syria turned into a war zone, and how kids, who used to play innocently in the streets, became targets of the killing machine.
When I read about the film, I thought the idea of “faking a wedding” is great! But, as the film went on, I realized it was not actually the greatest approach. Personally, what I saw in this film was “a fun road trip taken by a group of people fleeing war.” All what I saw was stops at restaurants for food, sleepovers at friend’s houses, a visit to a night club for some rap, and finally reaching the destination with no suffering or barriers.
I wish there was some encounter with border officials, or any third party, or even a stranger who stops them on the way for an enquiry. It might be a matter of luck that they actually made it, but I don’t think presenting luck in that manner is worthy of making an hour long documentary!
Even in the characters portrayal, they did not reflect a sense of hardship. They were dining, drinking coffee and smoking a cigar. So in other words, I did not have that sense of sympathy or attachment to the characters. Even when some of them were telling their personal stories, at some point, I did not believe what is being said, because in order to believe, it has to be reflected on the looks, words spoken, and behavior.
I think the strongest point about the film is portraying tragedy, while keeping “the wedding”, which is a symbol of happiness, in the background. More efforts should have been spent on the stories told by people like Abu Manar, whom I was moved by his story on what happened to him in Italy. Visually, it could have been played with in a smart manner, but unfortunately, that was a missed opportunity.
The beginning of the film was a good start, especially when crossing the borders between France and Italy, and passing by the old abandoned house, where the group wrote their names, and the groom started telling the story of his illegal sea trip.
Some might say: “should it always be about the suffering? We have been seeing suffering in Syria for the last 4 years… It would be good to see something different!”
I tend to disagree. Suffering a war does not just take place within the borders of the country living it. It extends beyond that. The film should have also focused on the difficult moments the group lived even after arriving at their destination. I guess lots of people would be curious to know how the group managed to live and apply for asylum when they reached Sweden.
Then there is also the group that helped the Palestinians and Syrians during this trip. At some point, I felt they were just part of the set, with no real presence. There should have been some spot light on them to understand their motivation behind helping and why are they doing this!
I still think the idea is good, but it is missing a personal human touch. Honestly, I am usually easily moved by tragic stories (and who is not), and I make sure to hold on to a tissue or something when watching such films. At that film, the tissue was not even touched!
“Could it be that easy?” I asked myself after watching the film. I might not have the answer, because I have not lived such a situation, but I do have an understanding that it is definitely not!
Samya Ayish
Contributing Writer
Arab America