Text/Somer (sub-non-fish)
Public account: Abandon the book
When I was 17 years old, I was still an "unkempt" staring at the countdown to the college entrance examination on the blackboard every day, thinking that I could quickly end the long "high school battle" and start my trip to China. And 17-year-old Autumn , because of another person's lust and violence, needs to face the reality of an unwanted pregnancy and find a way to get an abortion without her parents knowing. If I hadn't watched the film Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020) written and directed by Eliza Hittman at the Berlin Film Festival a few days ago , my understanding of the issue of pregnancy and abortion among high school students in American society is limited to the film Juno, the girl in "Juno" (2007) who gave birth to a child and returned to school life safely.
Juno, a pure and brave adolescent girl, said "NO BABIES LIKE MURDERING" (no babies want to get born!), "All babies want to get borned!" All babies long to come into the world!), she's a little shaken. I heard from classmates that the baby in her belly already has nails, and Juno's reaction is very suitable for her age - "Fingernails? Really?" (Have nails? You did not lie to me?) Although the pregnancy was unexpected, overall, Juno is a lucky teenage girl. She is independent, confident and brave. She also has a father who is open-minded, trusts and respects her daughter's decisions, a stepmother who genuinely cares about her, and Paulie, a kind and attentive boyfriend who is also in adolescence. .
And in Eliza Hittman's film, Autumn is mostly silent, and she has only a few moments like Juno that make people realize that she is a minor child, and these moments are even more distressing for her. . Realizing she might be pregnant, she went to a gynecology clinic in a small Pennsylvania town where her hometown is located, to find a doctor for a pregnancy test. When the pregnancy test was handed to her, the doctor said, " If you test a bar (not pregnant), you may have another test in a few weeks, because the results may be inaccurate, and you may have doubts in your heart. In the end, when she took out the pregnancy test stick in the fall and saw the two clear bars on it, she didn't want to accept this reality, she turned her head and asked the doctor beside her - is it possible that the result of the "pregnancy" test is also wrong. Are you actually not pregnant?
The doctor may have seen a lot of such young girls who were pregnant unexpectedly. Listening to her questions, she calmly said that there is no possibility. Pregnancy is pregnancy, and the result is accurate. When I came home in the fall with the results, I began to think about what to do. Before thinking about specific measures, she took out a very thick paper clip from the kitchen, broke the needle out, heated it on the fire, went to the bathroom, and pierced a hole in her nose while looking in the mirror. Hole, is a rare violent act of autumn in the film. More often, she is like a shadow, neither being seen nor making a sound. The next day, she had a tiny nose stud on her nose. I don't know why the director designed the plot of the nose piercing, perhaps it was an allusion to the act of piercing a hole in Qiu's heart to divert her resentment towards the irresponsible "seeder", or maybe she wanted to pass such an act to affect the fetus in the womb.
The clinic in my hometown, like the whole town, is conservative and opposed to abortion, no matter what the reason for the pregnancy. After a B-ultrasound for a pregnancy test, I asked the clinic doctor in the fall: Can I have an abortion? The doctor didn't immediately respond to the question, but instead asked, "Are you sure you want an abortion? We have a lot of couples here who want to have children but have failed many times. You may consider finding an adoptive family after birth. Before you make a decision, I'll show you a video." Qiu stopped reluctantly and started watching the doctor's video—in terms of quality and style, it looked like an "anti-abortion" video made in the '50s and '60s, where the host used exaggerated Tone, saying that abortion is a crime, a harm to a baby's life, etc. I didn't finish reading the autumn, so I pushed the door and left. The doctor said that abortions for minors must be signed by either parent. After DIY nose piercings, another body modification attempt in the fall is "DIY at-home abortion . " She surfed the internet for ways to "abort at home." She swallowed a bottle of vitamin C first, then went to the bathroom, clenching her fists and pounding her already slightly bulging belly. When he was beating, his eyes were filled with hatred.
Autumn is not like Juno, she doesn't have a father who fully supports her, her stepfather is an obvious macho who treats this stepdaughter like air, and his wife does all the housework including dressing herself in the morning, even in front of the whole family. Human face, teasing the family pet dog and calling it "slut" (slut). And her "boyfriend" may have already locked in a new target. With absolutely no preparation and no support, she never thought about giving birth to a child. She just wanted to have an abortion quickly and end all the negative memories related to this unwanted pregnancy. Throughout the film, the role of Autumn's "boyfriend", or sexual partner, is completely absent. This is the director's deliberate arrangement, because Qiu's state and response have already portrayed the image of a scumbag. Finally, in the fall, with the help of their cousin Skylar, the two stole some money from the supermarket where they worked and took the bus to New York. After wandering a few places, I found an abortion hospital in Manhattan that accepted her. On the way to the hospital, in autumn, she found that the street was full of anti-abortion protesters. She and her cousin hurried to the hospital, trying not to look at the slogans and pictures that demonized abortion. Before the abortion operation, there is a doctor who is responsible for communicating with the fall: Before the abortion operation officially begins, there are several questions that you need to answer, and some questions may make you feel uncomfortable...
You just need to choose one of the following options " Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always". I need to make sure you are safe. The first question, you are because of anyone's threat of oppression An abortion decision? "No". That's the only question to answer right away in the fall. Has your sexual partner coerced reluctantly to have sex with you in the past year? Never, occasionally, Sometimes, always. Autumn, who had been silent and expressionless, became emotional when she heard this question, she wanted to speak, but something seemed to choke her throat, her face flushed red, but she couldn't make a sound.
Has your sexual partner ever used violence against you? Never, occasionally, sometimes, always. During sex in the past year, has your partner ever forced you to go without a condom? Never, occasionally, sometimes, always. "Occasionally". Autumn has a hard time squeezing out the word. Her expression, the fear and panic in her eyes, and the tears she couldn't control in the end, said everything.
During the doctor's questioning process, Qiu allowed himself to cry for the first time outside the absent scumbag sower, and the director designed another boy character that appeared to be "pollution-free". The two sisters had to transfer on the bus to New York. After the transfer, a young man in his early 20s came up. He was carrying a backpack, big headphones around his neck, and a T-shirt with a pattern like a rock band printed on it. Seeing the beautiful Skylar, the youth immediately entered the chat mode, "Are you also going to New York? What are you going to do?", "Maybe it's a bit presumptuous, I still want to ask, do you like live music in live house?". Finally, seeing that Skylar was reluctant to continue chatting, the rock youth asked for the other party's mobile phone number, and he could play with him at any time when it came to New York. The 20-year-old Skylar has the appearance and body that is popular with boys. Judging by the disgust and a certain degree of overwhelm she's shown when confronted by Rock Youth's approach, she's perhaps a little less emotionally involved than Autumn's experience. The first time she went to the big city of New York, she didn't think about what she was going to visit. She was very clear about her responsibilities - to accompany her cousin, to complete the abortion as soon as possible, and to carry a large suitcase full of two people's clothes throughout the process. The heavy suitcase and the light little backpack, the outfits of the two girls and the equipment of the rock youth can be understood as two symbols with a metaphor-the need to carry a heavy burden (here the heavy burden is the one after an unplanned pregnancy). series of questions), and men who can easily go into battle with a "game attitude" without any scruples. In many cases of unintended pregnancy, the heavy luggage is carried by the female unilaterally. At that time, men who were diligent and eloquent in seducing women and entering women were often the quickest to escape. The role of Autumn was interpreted very realistically by Sidney Flanigan, who debuted in the film. The way the whole film is presented is calm and simple, and many times it makes people feel like a documentary - when doing B-ultrasound, the doctor needs to first apply a smear to Autumn's stomach. A layer of transparent ultrasound couplant, at this time, the camera is aimed at her abdomen for a close-up. And the face of autumn is out of the camera. Thinking of the autumn when I was beating my belly at home, through this close-up, I was able to empathize with her mood at the moment - a complex emotion of shame, anger, tension and urgency (can I finish the operation right away today). She only hopes that the little life in her belly will leave quickly. She is still a child and cannot assume the role of a mother. Flanigan said she was drawn to the director's sensitive and realistic script,"I love how it's so realistically based and there's something magical about it. Speaking of how she interprets autumn so well, she said: "I just tried to feel the universal pain that all these women feel in common and try to assert these rights that are always under threat. I just drew from that universal pain that all of these women are feeling, and trying to maintain these rights that are always under threat. The autumn of Juno and boyfriend Paulie is more real than the brave and protected Juno, who is calm on the surface and fearful on the inside. " is indeed a good movie in the movie about teenage pregnancy. It has created the image of an adolescent girl who is independent and not afraid of external voices. How to understand the adult society and grow up quickly during the process of unplanned pregnancy. And I am even more grateful to "From Not Occasionally Sometimes Always” is a film that can face up to and try to reflect this phenomenon as plainly as possible. After reading the introduction of the film, I was prepared for a lot of tears during the viewing process, but I didn’t cry in the end. Many times when my nose was sore, The director suddenly braked suddenly, rejecting the sensational presentation, and switched to the next scene. In the ordinary and inconspicuous autumn, many girls can see a part of themselves from her. I have not experienced unintended pregnancy and abortion alone in autumn. I have never heard of my friends having similar experiences in autumn, but I know that autumn is not an exception. Cousin XY works as a nurse in a hospital . Many underage girls come to have abortions. They have no common sense of contraception and regard "abortion" as contraception. " I was surprised when I heard it. At that time, I was 18 years old, and my understanding of sex was still limited to watching a few sexual clips in European and American movies when I was in junior high and high school, such as the "Sexual Enlightenment" film "The Beautiful Legend of Sicily " that I was deeply impressed by. After that, I gradually realized my lack of sexual knowledge/common sense, and when I thought about the girls who went for abortion, I suddenly felt a little scared. Young women are victims of male and social violence (the lack of sound sex education and the widespread spread of the idea of "sexual liberty" on the Internet). As a teenager, I was completely ignorant of sex and had little vigilance. If in high school, in addition to the desire to hurry up for the college entrance examination and travel, I also developed a curiosity to explore the body, and I might become one of them.
4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days
In an interview, director Eliza Hittman said that one of the inspirations for her work was a 2007 Romanian film, 4 Months, 3 Weeks & Abortion Diary , directed by Cristian Mungiu. 2 Days, 2007). "April 3rd Week 2nd" is set in Romania in 1987. At the time, abortion was illegal in Romania, which was under totalitarian rule. In Romania, the 1966 Decree stipulates that only women aged 40 years or older, or who have four children, can obtain contraceptives or undergo abortions, and the rest are illegal. In the film, the female college student Gabriela is pregnant unexpectedly. On the day of the fetus on April 3rd and 2nd, her friend and roommate Otilia planned for her an abortion that must be completed on the same day. The entire film revolves around the difficulties and challenges Otilia encountered in planning an abortion. And Gabriela just passively waited. In a way, Gabriela is taking advantage of her friend's kindness a little too much, even though she's a victim herself.
Hittman loved the film and found new creative inspiration from the film's shortcomings, what really resonated with me was the unplanned pregnancy of the secondary character (ie Gabriela), who is ashamed of being pregnant and is considered A bit immature and careless and flippant, and while the movie is already amazing, I think, it's still a bit indifferent to characters who are really in crisis during the shoot. And what to do with this character, that's something I've been thinking about over and over while writing this script.
In China, where religious influence is relatively weak, abortion may not face as many moral and legal obstacles as in the United States. (I don’t know the current abortion laws in the US, please leave a message to add) But for women, all kinds of explicit and implicit violence are still ubiquitous: such as the prevailing “leftover women” discourse, such as professional women still need to work hard Do the role of a "full-time mother" - undertake most of the household chores and take care of the children at home. If you are not careful, you will be criticized for "disregarding the family and only caring about your career", and the always absent father never feels that he is not. Qualified, and will not be criticized by relatives, friends or public opinion. At the end of 2019, Xu Zaozao , a 31-year-old freelancer, went to the Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University to freeze her eggs. She plans to work for a few more years and have another child (raised alone or with another person). In many countries, more and more single women are choosing to freeze their eggs. In the environment of an aging population, the country's encouragement of fertility and the overall discrimination against "leftover women", Xu Zaozao received the doctor's reply that your eggs are healthy, but we refuse to freeze your eggs for you and want to have children. Might as well get married and have kids.
Xu Zaozao sued the hospital, arguing that the doctor's refusal to treat was essentially discrimination against single women. Gabriela's sense of shame, the violence she endured in her sexual relationship in the fall and the difficult abortion process that followed, the rejection of Xu Zaozao's egg freezing appeal, and the public pressure of the whole society to "get married and have children quickly" against single women... This violence against women is everywhere. And men are more often consciously or unintentionally enjoying the "welfare" and convenience provided by the patriarchal society, just like the backpacks on the rock youth - they are hunters and can "hunt" freely. The last second was gentle and considerate. Yes, after getting it, you can also carry your bag, put on your headphones, return to your own world, and forget what you did to another person in the last second.
I remember talking with Wendy, a professor of Islamic arts, about the movie "Marriage Story" (2019) before class in January. She was angry at the director's glorification of the hero Charlie in the film. Class was soon over, and we couldn't talk further. I think that as a single mother, she may have experienced a lot of oppression in her marriage, and it is not easy to be able to empathize with Nicole more deeply. She said: Why, if a married woman wants to have a career promotion, she must sacrifice her family, while a man can justly ask the other half to make sacrifices for his career plan?
After reading "Never Occasionally Sometimes Always", I thought a lot, and I will write it later. It may be an irresistible ideal to completely eliminate violence against women, and it is too passive and too naive to wish for oneself to be "lucky enough" to meet a "good man". I can't speak on behalf of "women", I only know that I need to protect myself from becoming autumn; and when autumn is around me, I will do my best to protect and help her. At the Berlin Film Festival, the director and two leading actors "Never Occasionally Sometimes Always" won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival . It should be released in many countries this year. If there is a schedule in your city, I hope you can invite your friends to see it together. I hope more people can see the violence, oppression and difficulties they face in the silent autumns around us.
Add WeChat account paokaishubenxbb to join the national fan group
View more about Never Rarely Sometimes Always reviews
