“The Silence of the Palaces” a Film by Moufida Tlatli

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1. Which silences are referred to in the title of the movie? Who is silent, and why? What do these silences nonetheless manage to convey? And when are they broken?

The film the Silence of the Palaces by Tunisian director Moufida Tlatli is filled with sound, music, and talks, and yet the main things remain unsaid in it. The horrific stories of women objectification, sexual and physical abuse and forced incestuous relationships are not discussed. It is obvious that the women who are abused keep silent, but this silence has another origin: it is also apparent that no one is going to hear the women or help them. Therefore, it is not the women who are silent, but the palaces, the society with its inhumane customs.

What is more, the women do not know how to speak about their plight, which is mentioned by Alia, who can sing but cannot express herself. Her voice-overs provide crucial information about her state but are unheard by those around her. Still, these words are heard by the viewers. Ramanathan insists that the “inability to be heard” of the protagonist is eventually used by her to “comment on and deconstruct the notion of male authority” (qtd. in Faucette 75). Her silence allows her to ponder, search for herself, and make conclusions, but it is apparent that these processes would be much easier if she had someone to discuss it with.

2. Women’s bodies play an important role in the film. In your view, are they mainly depicted as “sites of suffering” over which the women lack control? Or can they also be understood as symbols of female power?

In my opinion, women bodies are portrayed ambivalently. It cannot be denied that they are depicted as the “sites of suffering” as suggested by Sherzer: they are subjected to assaults, unwanted pregnancies, abortions; they remain unexplored and uncontrolled by the women themselves (55). “I hate my body,” screams Khedija, and Alia seems uncomfortable with hers, which is demonstrated through her panic attacks, during which she may lose consciousness (together with any control). Still, these bodies belong to women who work and live together, who help each other, who know how to support, heal, and create, which gives them power. I would say that neither of images prevails, but I admit that the former, darker one leaves a stronger impression.

3. Who is Moufida Tlatli’s main audience? Arab spectators? Western audiences? Or both? Please explain.

It appears that Tlatli’s message is universal. Women victimization, objectification and the silence over sexuality are still issues in modern societies. The process of women liberation is slowed down by the ages of oppression and the difficulties of finding the way to balance out equality and differences while also paying attention to other aspects of diversity (Eagly and Wood 758). In fact, the same can be said about any kind of inequality. Tlatli depicts the consequences of oppression and makes an emphasis on the ongoing struggle against it.

Apart from that, as rightfully pointed out by Donadey, Alia is more than just the image of the abused women: she is a metaphor for Tunisia (and its women) that is on the verge of gaining independence and freeing itself from French repression (46). This attempt at rethinking the history of Tunisia is most certainly meant for the world to consider.

4. Foreign funding for the movie might raise questions about its cultural authenticity. Do you think the film is heavily influenced by Orientalist images? Or does the movie rather undermine the stereotypes of Western Orientalist discourse? Do you think Tlatli’s focus on gender inequalities and violence against women is catering mainly to Western audiences’ stereotypes about the situation of women in the Middle East?

The West has had an impact on cinema and films, and its technology was imported to the East along with some cultural phenomena (Shafik 4-5). Also, Tlatli studied in France, and Sherzer brings out the similarities of her works with the literary works of Proust. Still, the film does not appear to promote the Western Orientalist discourse. It discusses Tunisia history and women and their historical search for identity, which can be expressed only by authentic imagery. In fact, Tlatli counters the Orientalist discourse, for example, in the form of the Western idea of the harem (Sherzer 56). As pointed out by Sherzer, Tlatli uses her “Arabness” for this film and her other works, not Westernized discourse (58).

5. According to Dina Sherzer, film maker Moufida Tlatli’s movie about gender, class, and history in Tunisia in the 1950s still has an important message for us today. What is this main message, and why is it so relevant in the present?

The film is connected to the country’s history, but its strongest message is concerned with inequality, the stubborn struggle for women’s rights, and the ugliness of oppression in its varied forms. This feminist, liberalistic, and humanist message is still relevant nowadays since the humanity still has to work to create a truly inclusive society where gender or any other characteristic is not a reason for inequality (Sherzer 58; Eagly and Wood 758-761).

Works Cited

Donadey, Anne. “Representing Gender and Sexual Trauma: Moufida Tlatli’s Silences of the Palace.” South Central Review 28.1 (2011): 36,51,133. ProQuest. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.

Eagly, Alice H., and Wendy Wood. “Feminism and the Evolution of Sex Differences and Similarities.” Sex Roles 64.9-10 (2011): 758-67. ProQuest. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.

Faucette, Michael Brian. “Feminist Auteurs: Reading Women’s Films.” Journal of Film and Video 61.2 (2009): 74-6. ProQuest. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.

Shafik, Viola. Arab Cinema. Cairo, Egypt: The American University in Cairo Press, 2007. Print.

Sherzer, Dina. “Remembrance Of Things Past: “Les Silences Du Palais” By Moufida Tlatli”. South Central Review 17.3 (2000): 50. Print.

The Silence of the Palaces. Dir. Moufida Tlatli. Perf. Amel Hedhili, Hend Sabri, Moufida Tlatli. Capitol Entertainmen, 1994. Film.

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“The Silence of the Palaces” a Film by Moufida Tlatli

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