I caught this series of documentaries on TV by accident and it cost me a night's sleep; I was so intrigued that I couldn't stop watching.
The way in which Jennifer Fox explores her own sense of being a woman juxtaposed to the perspectives of women from all over the world on themselves is fascinating. It also seemed to me that Jennifer was very genuine in documenting her own life, including her own lapses of judgement from time to time (i.e. unprotected sex in an HIV infected country), and also her most dark moments and her happiest moments. This made the documentary very real and raw, and all the more educational. It also made the stories of the women around the world come to life more.
I thought it was beautiful how Jennifer's own quest for freedom and for motherhood, and her own struggle to find true love were contrasted to global women's issues such as female genital mutilation. Those who say that Jennifer's struggles are petty compared to the global issues and shouldn't have been shown in this way are entirely missing the point (in my not-so-humble opinion). If this was a scripted TV series - perhaps the point is valid. But this is someone's actual life we are seeing. These are the defining struggles in her womanhood and they absolutely compare to the global issues - as every woman's self-defining struggles do. There is nothing bigger than figuring out who you are, and then take action accordingly. One can see in this documentary that the more Jennifer begins to understand herself as a woman, the more she understands (and can identify with) the other women around the world. It's hugely important.
I also thought it was very interesting to see Jennifer's mother, aunt, father and grandmother and hear their perspectives on motherhood, marriage, sexuality etc. It made me think of my own parents' idea of me as a woman and how that has influenced my upbringing and how it still influences their dreams and expectations for my future.
All in all, I thought the 6 hours weren't enough. I would have gladly sat through another 6 (not all in the same night though!). This documentary made me reflect upon my own life and upon the lives of women all over the world. I'm also really curious to know how Jennifer's life developed, and also how all the other women are doing now. How is the young singer from the UK, for example? And has L'Dawn won her alimentation court battle yet?
Conclusion: well worth watching.
The way in which Jennifer Fox explores her own sense of being a woman juxtaposed to the perspectives of women from all over the world on themselves is fascinating. It also seemed to me that Jennifer was very genuine in documenting her own life, including her own lapses of judgement from time to time (i.e. unprotected sex in an HIV infected country), and also her most dark moments and her happiest moments. This made the documentary very real and raw, and all the more educational. It also made the stories of the women around the world come to life more.
I thought it was beautiful how Jennifer's own quest for freedom and for motherhood, and her own struggle to find true love were contrasted to global women's issues such as female genital mutilation. Those who say that Jennifer's struggles are petty compared to the global issues and shouldn't have been shown in this way are entirely missing the point (in my not-so-humble opinion). If this was a scripted TV series - perhaps the point is valid. But this is someone's actual life we are seeing. These are the defining struggles in her womanhood and they absolutely compare to the global issues - as every woman's self-defining struggles do. There is nothing bigger than figuring out who you are, and then take action accordingly. One can see in this documentary that the more Jennifer begins to understand herself as a woman, the more she understands (and can identify with) the other women around the world. It's hugely important.
I also thought it was very interesting to see Jennifer's mother, aunt, father and grandmother and hear their perspectives on motherhood, marriage, sexuality etc. It made me think of my own parents' idea of me as a woman and how that has influenced my upbringing and how it still influences their dreams and expectations for my future.
All in all, I thought the 6 hours weren't enough. I would have gladly sat through another 6 (not all in the same night though!). This documentary made me reflect upon my own life and upon the lives of women all over the world. I'm also really curious to know how Jennifer's life developed, and also how all the other women are doing now. How is the young singer from the UK, for example? And has L'Dawn won her alimentation court battle yet?
Conclusion: well worth watching.