Torment means severe physical and mental suffering, so the title of the film really astounded me. Woman can be said as God's complete creation. She is the symbol of independence, love, caring, gentleness. But it is our misfortune that still women are killed in their mother's womb or the lucky ones who survive are neglected by their family itself. But "Torments of Love" is not the story of helpless, looser women, rather it is a survival fight of two sisters, it is a protest of daughters against their own father. Love, anger, affection, hatred every emotion has outstandingly represented in this film.
The film is about the relation of two sisters Myriam and Venessa with their father. In childhood, the two were deprived of their father's love, affection, and care. Not because they were indecent and disobedient, they were deprived because they were 'girl child'. Despite all these things the elder sister Myriam and her loving husband try to reunite her family again for the last time. Myriam invites her father for a lunch and when Vanessa learns about her father's coming she tries to escape from the situation.
After a long confrontation, Myriam succeeds to make Vanessa agree to meet their father. During lunchtime, Myriam tries to hide her wounds behind a mask of perfection. But she could not suppress her emotion when their father compares them with his favorite pet dogs. Myriam bursts out in anger and in everyone's presence, she disgorges all her grieves to him. Here we can get the essence of the writer and director Caroline Jule's touch. Jule's camera finds father's inner guilt feeling and hiding affection towards his daughters which comes across by his younger daughter.
"Torments of Love" is a film of emotion, expression, and sensitivity. The whole film was surrounded by four main characters. Usually, it is very difficult for a director to make such film an appealing one. In this case, director Caroline Jules just made a miracle. As a viewer, I can say that during the 53 minutes of running time, I also became an invisible cast of the film. Each and every actor was living in their character perfectly. The person behind the camera proves his skill. Every frame was a perfect one, especially one scene touches my heart when Vanessa wants to stop his father from going and her ego goes against her, but her soul became 'little Vanessa' who runs after her father.
The modern world is zooming ahead in all fields that count at breakneck speed. The boom in the economy, innovative technologies, and improved infrastructure are a testament to that. Women have provided a considerable contribution to this progress, with them taking up every possible job. From preparing the morning breakfast to sending the Orbiter to Mars, they have made their presence felt in every sphere of life. Yet there still remains a cloud of apprehension and insecurity when a girl child is born. Discrimination against a girl begins at her conception and shapes up to be the monster she has to fight every moment of her waking existence. Her second rate citizenship is reflected in the denial of fundamental needs and rights, and in such harmful attitudes and practices as a preference for sons, female genital mutilation, incest, sexual exploitation, domestic abuse, discrimination, early marriage, less food and less access to education. "Torments of Love" is unconventional and like a fresh air among these.
Arindam Bhunia/Cult Critic/CICFF
