Desert Flower The editor of a popular women's magazine poses the obligatory question to Waris Dirie, a world-renowned top model, about the day that changed her life. She anticipates the well-known answer. It is known that Waris's life took a dramatic turn after famous fashion photographer Terry Donaldson noticed her while she was working as a cleaner at McDonald's. Waris initially reacted skeptically to the offer for a photoshoot. Even now, in an interview with the journalist, she doesn't seem particularly enthusiastic about recounting the touching story of a poor immigrant from the Somali desert. She becomes serious, fixes her gaze on the editor, and unexpectedly sets a condition.
She demands assurance that her story will be published unedited, as she tells it. The slightly nervous journalist hesitantly agrees. Waris continues. I was five years old. That evening, I received an extra portion of rice. She had no idea what awaited her. Director Sherry Hormann made the film based on the autobiographical book of the same name. The name Waris in Somali means Desert Flower. It could also be titled: The Girl Who Crossed the Desert. That is exactly what she dared to embark on while fleeing from an enforced marriage.
A poor nomadic family was lured by the prospect of a few camels, for which they exchanged their adolescent daughter. The career of the fourth wife of a sixty-year-old limping man did not entice Waris at all, and she preferred to set off on a journey into the unknown. Without a map, without a guide, just filled with unwavering trust. Or perhaps a conviction that nothing worse than an arranged marriage could threaten her. The resilient girl arrived in the capital, Mogadishu, where she found her grandmother. With her relatives' help, she travels to London to stay with her aunt, the wife of the Somali ambassador. She works as a maid for them. After the outbreak of civil war, she refuses to return home.
She embarked into the desert without a map, and in London, she remained without knowledge of a foreign language. She narrowly escaped a fate of homelessness. During a chance meeting, a slightly quirky salesperson and dancer named Marylin, played by the irresistible Sally Hawkins, extends a helping hand. Marylin also helps her find a job at McDonald's. She hasn't completely won yet. The world of models is harsh, and moreover, Waris is also confronted with some unresolved matters regarding her stay. A fake marriage seems to be a solution, but the formal husband has a somewhat different vision of their cohabitation. At the moment Waris reaches the peak of her career and her face graces various prestigious fashion magazines, she tells her entire story for the first time. How she was circumcised at the age of five. The chilling scream of the little girl imprints on the audience's skin. The film's plot begins at the moment Waris meets Marylin.
From flashbacks, the audience gradually learns about her life in Somalia. Although at first glance, it may seem that we will see nothing more than another version of Cinderella, the film never bores for a moment. The director masterfully tells the story with an emphasis on the character of the indomitable Waris, her optimism, and determination. This eventually leads to Waris becoming the face of the fight against the practice of female genital mutilation. She became a UN special ambassador for the elimination of female circumcision. She also established the Waris Dirie Foundation, focusing on raising awareness of the dangers of this mutilating practice. After all, she experienced the detrimental consequences within her own family. One of her sisters bled to death after undergoing the procedure, and another did not survive childbirth.
Reasons to See the Film
Although female circumcision, or more accurately, the mutilation of female genitalia, is banned in five African countries (Mali, Malawi, Chad, Sierra Leone, and Liberia), it still occurs worldwide, often in unhygienic conditions that lead to further health complications and even death. Its history is not connected to Islam but reaches back to ancient times, being known from ancient Egypt. It has been associated with ideas of purity, innocence, fidelity, and beauty. Today, it is considered a violation of human rights, yet some communities cling to it, and it is typically practiced under the direction of women who have themselves undergone the procedure.
The film shows how difficult it is to break free from the social pressure of the community and to reject a practice that fundamentally negatively affects women's lives.
Marie Kolářová