198. The Poetess; movie review

THE POETESS
Cert TBA
90 mins
BBFC advice: TBA

Seventy million people in the Middle East watch the equivalent of the X-Factor or American Idol.
The difference is that instead of 'world class' singers, if the words of Louis Walsh, they are entertained by poets from across the region.
In itself, that fact turned the head of Mrs W and myself but we were even more gobsmacked by the story of one of the contestants, Hissa Hilal.
Stefanie Brockhaus and Andreas Wolff's documentary tells the story of Hilal, a wife and mum, who became a star of TV in an attempt to gain greater equality for women in her country of Saudi Arabia.
We only ever see the eyes of Hilal who goes on the show, Million's Poet, dressed in a niqab to protect not only her identity but those of family and friends.
But it is her words rather than her dress which really attract the attention.
In short, she attacks the manner in which men have oppressed women in Saudi Arabia and, through her poetry, demands the balance be redressed.
To us in the West, her verses seem moderate and lacking punch but in the Middle East they are ground-breaking and could prompt retribution.
The Poetess follows Hilal through her rise to fame and extracts from her a back story for her actions.
It tells how women's rights have gone backwards during regime changes in Saudi Arabia over recent decades.
There is also an interview with Hilal's husband who, strangely, is clearly identified and is unswerving in his support for her.
And the scenes from the Million's Poet show are remarkable if not for Hilal's poems but the reactions of the audience and the judges.
But there is something missing from the Poetess in the view of Mrs W and me.
For example, how did she get to Abu Dhabi so regularly to record the show and why didn't the Saudi authorities merely detain her?
In my view, The Poetess is yet another documentary which would have been so much more enlightening if there had been a quality narration which set the scene and filled in some of the gaps.
Without it, the film was entertaining and informative but not as illuminating as it might have been.

Reasons to watch: A unique portrait of a Saudi woman
Reasons to avoid: Could do with more meat on the bone

Laughs: Two
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Director quote - Stefanie Brockhaus: "We decided we’ll just accept the fact we can't see her face. Now I find the strength of the film is that you never see her face, because this is her reality. We went from being really frustrated to finding a solution that actually made the film stronger."

The big question - How have such archaic conditions remained in some countries?

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