In this short film, Dutch filmmaker Eline Hesse (a non-Muslim) considers the Dutch burqa debate by "stepping into another's shoes"--in this case, a niqab--to illustrate our shared interest in freedom.

"The Burqa Debate" has been a hot topic in the Netherlands in recent years. Because of my own background (having lived both in Qatar, a conservative Muslim country, and the Netherlands) it naturally intrigued me to do some in-depth research about it. What I discovered was eye-opening. On the one hand I could understand the Dutch mentality of openness, but on the other I understood the cultural context in which women wearing the niqab live. To gain further understanding of different perspectives, I interviewed an anthropologist who specialized in Salafism, a Dutch-Moroccan woman wearing the niqab, and researched official reports on women wearing the niqab in the Netherlands. One could say it is a debate with many layers and viewpoints, but I chose to specify in the topic of freedom. And who is to say how freedom is defined? I hope to open people's minds, and look at the issue in a way that makes viewers aware of their cultural biases.

About the Author

I am a communication design student, studying at the Design Academy Eindhoven in my 3rd year. Mainly I work in video, as I find it the most powerful tool to tell a convincing story. I have lived in 8 countries before the age of 21; through this experience I am able to empathize with different cultures and perspectives. One of my favorite places to live was Qatar, a very peaceful and rich conservative Muslim country in the Gulf. I am still very proud to have lived there, and always feel so grateful to have so many warm Arab friends. The video is very much close to my heart, because it was a great confrontation with myself. Living in the Netherlands during an politically unstable time where Geert Wilders, leader of the right-wing PVV party, called for anti-immigration reforms such as the so called 'burqa ban.' Nonetheless, I tried to give a balanced perspective on the issue as I could.  Although I am not Muslim myself, I can empathize strongly with Muslim women because I know they have strong values, such as family, brotherhood, faith and being able to sacrifice pleasures for a greater belief. You can visit my vimeo channel here:  vimeo.com/efhesse

 

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