One Billion Rising is on Vimeo and was directed by Eve Ensler and Toby Stroebel.
The film begins with a dramatic extreme long shot which pans down from the sky to show a woman giving birth on the ground outside in the setting of an African village. This shot establishes the scene with other women trying to help her included in the composition. This eye level shot shows their struggle as their distressed body language is increasingly desperate as they try to help the woman. The slow mo effect helps emphasise each movement, as we see her legs waving in the air in agony. We then cut to another slow mo shot of a close up of the woman's face. This shot shows the detailed facial expressions on her face with scrunched eyes and her mouth wrenched open. The calm soundtrack is somewhat contrapuntal to the extreme pain she is going through, as we don't hear her screams. The use of one non diegetic soundtrack throughout acts as a sound bridge into the rest of the shots. This generates continuity and creates a connection between the events taking place all over the world which demonstrate many women's struggles.
The next setting is a workshop with many women putting together what appears to be children's dolls. The scene is established through a long shot showing the high number of women performing this tiresome work. The low key lighting creates a dark and grim setting, with dirty decor and bright lights used to focus just on the women and their work. This lighting, along with close ups on the dolls, emphasises the use of these significant props, which are stereotypically used to make young girls happy. This is contrasted by these shots where the production of these dolls are making young girls on the other side of the world go through extreme stress. Shallow depth of field is used to focus on individual girls to show their depressed and focussed facial expressions and body language. A cutaway is then used to show a man with aggressive facial expressions suggested to be yelling at them. This emphasises the hierarchy and inequality the makers of the video are trying to eliminate.
Further scenes of injustice follow, including a mid shot at shallow depth of field highlighting a woman carrying an unbearable amount of weight on her back. Her slumped body language and slow movements enhance this idea. She is then bumped into by a reckless person passing by, who's costume of jeans and a leather jacket suggests it to be a man. This reinforces the themes of abuse to women. The close up of the charcoal in the bag flying out is not only to demonstrate her frustration of what he's done, but also to symbolise the idea of her falling to pieces.
An impactful piece of restricted narration is used in the next scene as an abusive father grabs his wife and sends the child fleeing away. A translucent and distorted glass is used to cover the action of her being beaten. This use of blocking is incredibly powerful and distressing for spectators as it reinforces the idea that we are powerless to be able to help her. There is a wall between the spectators and the abuse taking place, making us feel helpless, and question what we can do to help. This is the impact the filmmakers were hoping to have, as they want us to take action and fight against this type of abuse.
Another girl is then shown being forced down onto a bed, with the male forcing her to have sex. A big close up is then used to show her mouth covered by his had, representing the idea of her not having a say in the matter. Her facial expressions shown at such a close distance are clearly distressed, as we see the detail in her eyes, with moisture around the sides denoting tears.
As we continue to cut to all variations of locations around the world, they begin to become more contrasted, with some women showing still and peaceful expressions, as the settings in other more distressing situations start to shake. This scene acts as a powerful metaphor for what the support of the privileged can do for those in need. As women around the world begin to stand together in unison, the ones in need start getting their worlds literally shaken, as demonstrated by close ups of bouncing props such as a radio. This movement allows these women to break free of their horrendous situations.
As the 'movement' begins to grow, and more women become involved, the distressed women begin looking towards the camera with hopeful expressions. This direct address demonstrates how they are calling out to spectators for their help in this movement. This direct address allows us to empathise with the women and want to help them break free.
More and more women begin standing up, putting one finger in the air in harmony. The tempo of the non diegetic soundtrack begins to rise, as drums are used to work towards a crescendo. A sense of match on action is used as we cut between a long shot silhouette of a woman raising her arm half way, and then another woman continuing this action. The first woman is in a deserted location with no one else around, and the second in a busy marketplace. This technique draws a parallel between these two women on other sides of the world.
High frequency cuts and fast paced music then continues for the remainder of the film, as more women join this movement. Famous locations are used as backdrops to some of the women joining in, reaffirming the idea that this is taking place all over the world, with settings such as the London Eye and Eiffel Tower used to distinguish between locations. These women have confident smiles and body language, as they stand strong to fight for this cause.
Very good work Nathan, and all here by the deadline :)
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