A true confession: Before watching the illuminating doc Knots: A Forced Marriage Story, I assumed it would take place in foreign countries – maybe Third World countries. I had no idea that 46 states in America still allow some form of child marriage and that forced marriages are as common as they are.
Director Kate Brewer does what a good storyteller should do: she takes a big, complex issue involving legislation and religious sects and abusive parents, and tells it through just 3 relatable women (victims) who are excellent at telling their own experiences in compelling ways.
The three women are from California, Michigan and New Jersey – literally, from across the country. They are all of differing ethnicities and religious backgrounds and ages, but they share in common the fact that they were essentially groomed from their earliest memories to become obedient brides when their parents said the time was right. And that time was usually when they were young teens unable to consent. Unless…
Unless a parent gives permission. So, here is, indeed, a tangled web. A child is taken by a parent before a judge and granted permission to marry. Now, that same child has very little or even no say-so in what happens to her after that because…
Because she is a minor. It is simply factual and not a statement on my part that the politicians responsible for opposing laws to correct this conundrum have been Conservative. It is also a fact that the religions from whom these women came are Conservative sects or offshoots.
Take from that what you will. It is a fact that might somehow help others in the future.
Brewer’s 3 subjects, interestingly, never shout or raise their voices, which would be so normal – I mean, I was shouting at the screen myself. But they speak in even, stable tones – not without emotion, but as if they and Brewer understand that the best way to get the message across would be to do so in a way that the viewer can grasp and empathize.
The subjects are so good that I found Brewer’s device of cutting away to slow-motion shots of an unidentified dancer wrapping herself in rope while performing modern dance movements a distraction, Something that pulled me away from the narrative. Also, artistically speaking, the interludes are a bit on the nose. Yes, we understand the symbolism of the knots being tied – now please show us that less and these women on-camera more.
Knots: A Forced Marriage Story will anger you, but the women in this film found hope and eventual happiness, so the viewer, having known their pain, can relish their joy. You can also learn how to get help. Do watch the trailer below.
The film is available now: https://www.knotsthefilm.com/
