Guest
Stolen brides or don’t take away a wolf’s bitten sheep Documentary (HD) 50,53 min. Directed and produced by Helena Samoylova & Alex Samoylov Pro-Vision Group Russian Federation, Moscow Synopsis The ancient custom of bride kidnapping is widespread among highlanders of Russia’s Muslim Northern Caucasus, though according to “Shari” law (the basis of Islamic law) brides kidnapping is a sin that is strictly forbidden by the Koran. Every year, thousands of girls are kidnapped on south of Russia. This is increasingly becoming the preferred method of the region’s men to begin a family. Many stolen girls are raped or died. Psychological pressure often accompanies the kidnapping of brides. Most of the girls are forced to marry their kidnappers due to the traditional culture’s view that a girl who has been abducted has forever disgraced herself and shamed her family – meaning she can never be married anyone except her abductor. Therefore the most popular proverb in Caucasus about this cruel custom is the proverb “Don’t take away a wolf’s bitten sheep”, so the locals compare the stolen bride with the spoiled sheep. The kidnappers usually escape punishment as existing Russian laws allow a kidnapper to elude prosecution if they allow their victims to go free and unharmed. This law came into being after a wave of mass kidnappings in Chechnya during the interwar years of the late 1990s. Thanks to this legislative trick, many lives were saved, but now the law has taken a darker turn. For a number of years local politicians are trying to persuade Moscow to introduce legislation, which will make bride-kidnapping a criminal offence, but their pleas are falling on deaf ears. The documentary is based on true stories. Each story is both unique and filled with its own intense drama. The film explains the custom of bride kidnapping as well as provides insight in the perpetrator’s reasons for kidnapping a girl. At the heart of conflict lies a toxic combination of passion, opposing desires, ancient traditions, as well as political and social pressures. The narrative story of Hadji- Akhmet Israilov is a bright example of phenomenon of brides kidnapping. This man, the Chechen by nationality, kidnapped his three wives. He now has 25 children and more than 30 grandchildren. His wives confessed that abduction ruined their lives. The central story surrounded by other shocking facts of brides kidnapping in modern Russia. When Dagestan actor Eldar Iraziyev – a Kumyk by ethnicity – fell in love with a 17 year-old Avar girl, he came to the conclusion that he would have to kidnap her. He hid her for several weeks in the hope that her parents would agree to allow him to marry her. The parents, however, didn’t give their consent. Bride kidnapping has, in time, become the starting point of longstanding feuds between many of the Caucasus’ larger clans. Many men are killed each year in vendettas caused by the abduction of girls. 20 year-old Fatima Chapanova was kidnapped in the Ingushetian village of Verkhnie Achaluki. Her parents found her in the neighboring village of Surkhakhi. Fatima’s kidnapper belonged to a respectful local family and the girl’s parents agreed to a marriage. Both families began preparing for the wedding. Before it Fatima’s family suddenly realized that they couldn’t accept the disgrace of her being kidnapped. Fatima’s relatives arrived at her kidnapper’s house. A fire-fight ensued - two of kidnapper’s brothers, and one of Fatima’s relatives were killed. The documentary delves deeply into the ancient customs of gender relations that are strictly followed up to the present day, including Caucasus wedding traditions. The individuals who are portrayed in the film are shown in their natural surroundings, with their everyday lives shown as authentically as possible. The film consists of exclusive, unreleased footage which provides a multi-faceted pastiche of day-to-day life in the Northern Caucasus. Kidnapping of a bride or marriage by abduction — the practice of kidnapping brides and violent marriage is widespread not only in the Caucasus, but also in Central Asia (according to official figures, 15 thousand women are abducted annually in Kyrgyzstan), Ethiopia, Rwanda and also among the Turkish people. It may be said that this custom is widespread and the problem in the modern world is urgent. Therefore the documentary has a great potential for social engagement. At the center of the film is the problem of women’s rights violation. The project aims to change the minds of the people most affected by the crime of bride kidnapping. Filming locations include Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan. Any length could be produced to fit the format or channels time-slots. The correction of sound-design (current version of sound- on the level of preproduction, is not completed), translation, dubs is possible any time.
