A little about Kiss Me Not On The Eyes
One cannot take their eyes away from the
jiggling hips and sultry look in Dunia’s
eyes, luring you into her world but remove
all that and you have a serious narrative
that speaks about female sexuality and the
interaction with cultural rules of the Arab
society. Dunia, the film’s protagonist,
is a dancer, a poet and someone seeking
the meaning of love. She struggles and tries
to find her place in a male dominated world.
Most importantly, she tries to find her
own identity.
The film transcends its messages with the
help of Dunia’s character. As the
women of Arabia are not allowed to openly
express their sexual desires, it seems that
they have belly dancing to do exactly just
that. According to Anthropologists’
research, belly dances were performed specifically
as a prelude to sexual stimulation. Therefore,
with each dance Dunia performs and picks
up represents a fresh whole new performance
and expression that is alluring and sexy.
Within each of her dance sessions, she finds
herself trying hard to mimic and perhaps
even trying to top her late mother at her
own art. She wraps a red scarf around her
wrist in memory of her mother, also hoping
that she would bless her in her belly dancing
endeavors. However, her dance instructor
tells her to not restrict herself and requests
that she should break free and just simply
dance. He also advises her to find her own
moves and not to simply mimic her mother’s.
It seems that Dunia feels somewhat trapped
and imprisoned in the past, which she cannot
let go.
Dunia also learns about love’s deepest
meanings with the aid of her mentor, Dr
Beshir. He himself also tries to awake the
public and allow them to be aware of their
own surroundings but fails and becomes blind
in the process of it all. Even with this
handicap, he still provides Dunia the insight
she needs. Her admiration for her professor
also morphs into a love that she is unsure
of.
The film continues with her passionate
dancing and expression of her sexuality
and growth. The scene where she visits her
mother’s sister in dance is full of
erotica and feelings of each other. It’s
like an outburst of emotions that the women
had been sealing within themselves as if
one should notice, there is not one man
present. It seems that the film carries
a message stating that women are more liberated
in the absence of men.
As the film proceeds, Dunia explores more
of herself from finally seeing her own naked
body to having wed her boyfriend.
However, Dunia stays strong headed about
her own principles. As her husband leans
in to kiss her on her cheek, Dunia demands
that anywhere from above her neck is out
of bounds. Her head is her kingdom and she
would not share it. This could be where
the film’s title was inspired.
Then like any emotionally troubled girl,
she approaches her girl friends for help.
They suggested a little routine which was
seemingly coy yet mischievous. Dunia is
skeptical of it but ends up trying it anyway.
As much as the film doesn’t tell us
the outcome, it seems that she shifted out
from her home. Of course, it wasn’t
only about sex that bothered Dunia. It was
also the persistent grip of her husband
that she could not tolerate. He wanted her
out of the dance competition and as one
would have guessed it, dance is the only
way Dunia can express her sexuality openly.
Again, she heads to her friend’s home,
seeking solace.
The film also explores the topic on female
circumcision during a scene where Dunia
catches her friend’s mother circumcising
her granddaughter. I found this part of
the film most meaningful. It brought about
a topic, which is extremely important to
a female’s sexuality in Arabia. Dunia
mentions that after this butcher-ment of
the little girl, the grandmother had stolen
her warmth and left her cold.
The later part of the film shows us how
Dunia gets together with her professor,
Dr Bashir. Out of curiosity, she slips on
the bangles as if they were some silky lace
type of lingerie. She sprays whiffs of perfume
onto her body as if they were warm breaths
of a human being’s. Dunia just had
to try on the land lady’s things,
hoping to have some of her powerful energy
within her. Dr Bashir suddenly calls for
her, thinking that she was the land lady.
Then, in that state of panic and confusion,
she could not help but let go of herself
and succumb to his needs.
However, Dr Bashir could extraordinarily
tell, after a few sniffs of the perfume
and maybe with a little help of his improving
eye sight, that the woman in front of him
is distinctively Dunia. He tells her that
she is she and no one else, that there is
no need for silly personas to hide her true
self. Dunia is bewildered.
The finale of the film was the most magical
and impactful. There is no need for words.
Just sensual belly dancing with the swirling
and grinding of her hips, the wind in her
hair, the magical way she waves her arms
as if they were water, and the best part
of all, Dunia finally ripping off her mother’s
red scarf, letting it fly into the distance
as she is now ready to face the world ahead
of her as herself and no one else.
Raves and Rants
I felt as if I’ve released a sexy
genie out its bottle to seduce and hypnotize
me. As much as this film wreaks sex appeal
and sensuality, it also features a woman’s
place in a male dominant culture. I could
feel its passion seep into me as the film
swirls and wiggles a culture of a different
kind, arousing pleasure.
However, I did not expect the film to give
me as much as it did in the end. I was cynical
about such films as I was expecting another
random Bollywood movie to fill me up for
the 112 minutes or more. Of course, I was
wrong about it all. At the end of the film,
I found myself pleased and actually even
happy for Dunia who finally found her identity.
I personally do not like feel good films,
films that give too much a dramatic journey
of self discovery. But this film stole my
heart and my passion could only grow for
it.
Speaking about passion, the film is entirely
made up of it. In every scene or so, passion
fills the air like plague, not sparing anyone.
If one is observant enough, one would be
able to spot the different tones of Red.
Red is a color of passion, love and lust.
Dunia, the main character, is always adorned
in Red. The heart shape on the female driver’s
cab is red. It’s a vehicle of love!
They are motifs of Passion and it’s
wonderful how the film simply places it
as the clothing on the main character. Even
Dunia’s scarf from her mother is red.
Her mother, being a belly dancer, probably
used red to symbolize sensuality and sex
appeal of her dance. As Dunia wears it,
it could mean the love of a mother. Red
also symbolizes danger. Could the red these
women were wearing represent danger? The
film could be portraying that these strong,
powerful women are a threat to the men that
surround them. It may not be that obvious
at the beginning but it’s all very
simple yet effective to transcend the message
across.
This film sees no need to impress with
special effects or superb editing skills.
The film stays plot oriented rather than
film technique oriented as one sees through
it. The delivery of acting from the cast
is strong and great enough to pull you into
their path to self discovery. Dunia’s
character is well played and stays memorable
with one. Her dancing is fantastic and her
acting is emotional and strong willed to
pull her through her obstacles in her own
self-discovery.
As much as the film depicts a certain kind
of sensuality, I’m glad that it did
not go over the top, transforming into some
kinky erotica. I feel that capturing that
kind of emotion and maintaining “poetic
sensuality and love just like a song”,
is commendable.
The film really hit my g-spot if I had
one to start with. It made me think about
the issues the Arabian women have to deal
with, even though it does not concern with
me at all. To actually witness their strong
fighting spirit in a male dominated world,
I’m really impressed. It is rather
strange and comical that in spite of the
sexual taboos in their area, such sensual
sexy belly dancing is allowed as the female’s
outlet of expressing herself. Of course,
to stare would be rude hence just like the
film states, I’m afraid of the love
and pleasure that this film has given me,
so I’m stealing it secretly!
Written by: Brian Ho
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