Four brides, four countries, one big day! : “Why do women get married, and what does it mean to them?”: Watch ‘I Am No Bird’ exploring the answers

Film: I AM NO BIRD: What does marriage mean to modern women?

Director: Em Baker

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrYpB17jX4c

Synopsis: To Benay, in Turkey, marriage means a new beginning and a new family, something she lost with the passing of her mother when she was a child. To honour this, she’s getting married on Mother’s Day. To Anna, in Australia, it means being made one with her partner and her God, and preparing to lose her virginity. To Luthanlu, in India, it means an opportunity to continue her Rongmei Naga culture, a tribal minority in the North-East of the country. And to Dalia, in Mexico, it means the validation of her relationship with her girlfriend, and hopefully, reconciliation with her conservative mother.

As ‘I Am No Bird’ released on 14 November, 2019, Director  Em Baker talks to Indus Age about the beautiful documentary film.

Interviewed By Nidhi Kumari

Enlighten us more about your documentary, ‘I Am No Bird’:

I Am No Bird is an observational documentary following four women from Australia, India, Turkey, and Mexico, as they prepare for and celebrate their weddings. It’s an exploration of the different ways women find meaning in marriage.
We heard you say, “When we talk of love we are all the same”, what
makes you say that?

I think you are referring to the video I made in Hindi! https://vimeo.com/235313714  Full disclosure, my Hindi is fairly clunky, but what I was trying to say was that I think love is a universal emotion. I also think love is almost universal in weddings too. In many cultures that love exists between the two people getting married, but beyond that there is also the love that exists between family, friends, and community.
Tell us about the idea behind the name ‘I Am No Bird’:

It’s a reference from Jane Eyre. Jane uses it to try to set the terms of her marriage to Rochester. In my film I wanted to explore the ways women negotiate marriage. Marriage is an archaic and patriarchal institution, much like many other institutions women interact with, and weddings provide fertile ground to understand how women move in spaces not designed for them, so in that sense the title felt relevant. But the film also explores the contradictory messaging women receive about marriage from the culture, and includes other literary references too.
What is the reason for choosing marriage as the subject of your
documentary?

I was curious about whether or not I should get married. I already lived with my partner so I didn’t know what would really change. So, initially this project was born out of my own search for understanding: “Why do women get married, and what does it mean to them?”

Whose story of all the women attracted you the most?

I truly can’t answer that question because I connected with them all. Politically, I’m very similar to Dalia, and her wedding was arguably the biggest party. I loved how thoughtful Anna was, and her strong relationship with her mother. Despite not having a language in common, Benay and I got on really well, thanks to her bubbly and friendly personality. And of course in India, Luthanlu and her entire community hosted us in their village and made us feel like part of the family. I admire all the women and I’m grateful they were so generous to me.
Marriage is all about plethora of emotions, was there anytime when you
got emotional during the shoot or had any memorable moment?

Yes absolutely! Dalia had very emotional vows, so that was very powerful. And in both the Indian and Turkish weddings, there was a real sense of ‘giving away’ the bride, to the extent that she’s given to the groom and his family and walked out of the family home. I found that really emotional to watch, too.

What do you want the audience to take away from the film?

I think that women, their interests, and their choices, are too frequently written off as being frivolous or less worthy than men’s. I wanted to create a film about women’s choices that didn’t mock or judge them. I wanted people to come face to face with women who are different from them, and try to understand them. So I hope that happens.

Your message for both the Indian-Australian diaspora?

I don’t really have a message, but I’d like to say thank you! I spend quite a lot of time in India and in the local Indian community due to my husband being Indian, and I feel really lucky to have had that opportunity. India is a really diverse country that’s often glossed over in western media, so I’ve tried to represent a section of the Indian community (Naga people) who western people might not be familiar with. I hope Indian- Australian diaspora also enjoy connecting with these stories.

What are your future plans?

To keep making things as long as I can!

Brief Details:

• I AM NO BIRD will be screening at The Classic Cinema from Nov 14-21 
• Dendy Cinemas, Newtown, Canberra and Brisbane from November 14-17 
• And new Thornbury Picture House session added Thursday November 21 @ 615pm.  
• Em will be doing 2 Meet The Filmmaker sessions at  The Classic Cinema Elsternwick tomorrow Friday November 15 at 7pm 
• The Thornbury Picture House on Sunday November 17 at 5pm.  SOLD OUT