The Art of Oppression

The writer-director of the film Patricia Francis showcases art as a medium of expression for all the three female protagonists to raise their voices against all the injustices the male-dominated society has forced them to bear. The tile of the cinematic piece chosen by the filmmaker brings out the artistic viewpoint with a sense of realism to highlight the subject matter of the movie.

The plot of the creative piece revolves around the three women who use their art skills to communicate the experience of marginalization and social injustice. They also talk about the issues that are needed to be dealt with just because of their gender.

In the opening sequence, the letter O in white font with a purple tape on it signifies the lack of free speech, especially for girls. The black screen and the storyline commencing with the narration, the information that appears along with the music helps the film to keep the audience engaged with the content of the movie. The camera utilizes close-up and tracking shots to cover the detailing of the art exhibition and conversations to provide justice to the documentary/ experimental genre. The set design, costume, jewelry, hair, makeup, dialogues, and voice modulations are aptly planned to give shape to the short film according to the vision of the director. The inclusion of natural vegetation and clouds in the filming gives the movie a natural approach and allows all the ladies to dive into the emotions that need to be told to the viewers.

In terms of performance, though the three women belong to very different cultures but are united by the struggles of fighting for their existence in Britain after Brexit and Covid. The first artist, the sculptor portrayed the pain and the agony of finding her real identity effectively. The second artist is an Asian woman, a poet, who has been a victim of discrimination due to her skin colour and just wants to be accepted by the people around her. The third is an African lady who struggles with problems like racism, body shaming and gender stereotypes. She is a strong woman who has learned to convey her emotional turmoil through bold paintings making all the characters relatable in the eyes of the audience.

The Art of Oppression is all about resilience, hope and believing in oneself to fight for the rights given to them as a citizen irrespective of man or woman. The documentary talks about the need to accept and love self and then have expectations from others to do the same. The movie teaches the audience about the importance of being aware of one's identity and not be fearful to embrace it in any given situation. This experimental piece also tells the viewers how art, nature, and the hometown possess the power to heal the person suffering physically as well as mentally. The Art of Oppression wants to give a voice to the women of the country so that they can question the lack of opportunity and continuously the need to prove their talent despite being equally capable to their male counter parts in every field.