On Her Shoulders

On Her Shoulders was received with some trepidation at Austin SXSW Film Festival. The fight for recognition of the genocide committed against the Yazidi people in Iraq by ISIS is an important one that deserves recognition. Unfortunately, this film is so muddled that it does a poor job in the effort. The film focuses on the personal struggle and harrowing tale of 23-year-old Nadia Murad to win recognition of the horrors that her people have undergone in the last few years. The film transforms the struggle to one person's personal journey rather than focusing on the tragedy of an entire people. In so doing, it confuses as much as it informs. The questions at the showing were telling. Audience members asked about the history of the Yazidis which is not explained. The film provides little political context on the Yazidis, Iraq or ISIS leaving viewers with little understanding of the underlying issues. The film focused on the footage of Nadia's travels in Canada, Germany and Greece which contained a lot of poorly edited and irrelevant material. Even the title is problematic since it tries to present a people's struggle as dependent on a single young woman who the producer acknowledged was thrust into this role by accident when asked about it. The struggle doesn't depend on Nadia and the film's focus on her rather than on those who care about the Yazidis around the world does a disservice to their cause. The film concludes with Nadia's appointment as UN Goodwill Ambassador for Human Trafficking. The position is almost irrelevant and does little for the Yazidi cause. This film is a well-intentioned misfire. The Yazidis deserve a better profile of their cause and more direction on how others can help them move forward.

Incredible opportunity missed. The subtitles only showed English to English. I was watching the documentary to hear Nadia's story. What on earth were the producers thinking.

I've known one Yazidi for a long time, and I think their Yazidi religion/culture is very much similar to Hinduism, India should help these Yazidis and settle them in India. 🙏 Similarities in a sense:

1. Yazidis worship God 'Melek Tawwus' (In Hinduism known as 'Kartikeya', Peacock symbols both have) 2. April 14 Yazidi New Year (Hindu New Year also) 3. They made a mouth sound in their celebration (In Hinduism known as 'Ululudhvani, Ululation') 4. Yazidis have a symbol similar to Bindi or Tilak during temple prayer, very similar to Hindu forehead custom.

5. Does fire ritual (Very common in Hinduism and core of Zoroastrianism) 6. Yazidis do not circumcise, a very rare thing in the Arab culture (Hindus also do not circumcise).

7. Prays with folded hands (Just like the Hindus).

8. Believe in a recurring birth and death cycle (Dharmic philosophy of 'punar janam' or reincarnation) 9. The oil lamps called 'Sanjakas' that the Yezidis use are very similar to 'Arti' used in the Hindu culture for worship.

10. The Yazidi temple shrines or 'Lalish' are of pyramid structure, which are quite similar to Hindu Temple architecture.

11. Yazidis pray at sun rise and sun set, just like Hindus. Both face the rising or setting sun when praying to sun.

And these are just a few similarities, I'm pretty sure there are many more, we just need to re-establish the broken links, I believe Yazidis were once linked with Hindus of the Indian peninsula but got separated because of natural calamities and Islamic Invasions and Influence.

As other reviewers have said, this is about a remarkable woman. The horrid truth is revealed well within the first hour. So I found myself wondering if this could have been more effective as a 1 hour documentary.

Update 4/23/19): The U.S. (i.e.Trump & naturally joined by Russia, China) threatened to veto a strong UN Security resolution (Nadia spoke in favor of original) providing health & monitoring services on sexual violence acts (e.g. rape) during conflict/war resulting in a weaker watered down version passing.

ISIL or ISIS forces called for the destruction of the entire Yazidi people. Nadia Murad Basee Taha (Like Malala Yousafzai 2014, Nadia is a Nobel Peace Prize co-recipient 2018) witnessed long bearded men, dressed in black, carrying weapons attack her village Kocho (Sinjar District); watched as they took children from their mothers; young girls being raped. Then killing the men, the elderly women as well as most of her family; making her a sex slave (Note: Estimated over 5000 women & female children taken by ISIS - saying Islamic law justifies the revival (of) slavery before the Hour (of Judgement Day). ISIS targeted the Yazidis (Yezidis) because of some shared beliefs with Zoroastrianism and other non-Islamic religions. Nadia, who once just wanted to go to school; do the family farming chores; raise sheep, after escaping in 2014 is now a spokesperson seeking to help Yazidis still scattered throughout the world in refugee camps, and to recover their historic homeland (Note: Like the Kurds they face resistance from Turkey, Iran, Syria, Iraq religious & political interests as each seeks to repress minority populations.) Nadia to world leaders: "You are the ones who can bring hope or create suffering. You are the ones who decide if a girl like me from another part of the world can continue her simple life ... if beheadings, taking women as sex slaves, raping children do not move you - when will you move?"