Exploring Identity and Displacement Through Film: Shahrbanoo Sadat's Journey with Super Afghan Gym and Maryna Er Gorbach's Rotation
Shahrbanoo Sadat, a filmmaker who escaped Afghanistan and will open the Berlin Film Festival with her film No Good Men, recently premiered her short film Super Afghan Gym at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Maryna Er Gorbach, a Ukrainian director, also showcased her short film Rotation at the same festival. Both films were supported by the Displacement Film Fund, which was created by Cate Blanchett and IFFR's Hubert Bals Fund to assist displaced directors with grants.
Rotation, a 12-minute film, follows a young Ukrainian woman undergoing a therapeutic hypnosis ritual to cope with the displacement caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The film explores the emotional and metaphysical aspects of displacement rather than physical displacement. Super Afghan Gym, on the other hand, is set in a gym in Kabul where housewives gather to exercise and discuss body norms and daily life behind closed doors.
Sadat, who experienced a form of "double displacement" due to her family's history of fleeing Afghanistan, shared her personal journey of identity and belonging. She described film as a form of therapy that helped her find her voice and express her experiences. Super Afghan Gym also delves into questions of identity and home, particularly focusing on women's experiences in Kabul gyms amid social restrictions.
The response to Sadat's film was mixed, with Afghan men questioning the authenticity of the story while Afghan women shared their own experiences of secret gym visits as a form of escape from the challenges they face. The film sheds light on the struggles faced by Afghan women in urban areas and the limited opportunities available to them due to ongoing social and political issues.