The Camel

The Camel shakes things up, opening up new possibilities for the ways in which the abortion experience can be portrayed. By circumventing conventional modes of representation, the various testimonies of the women interviewed on this subject are successively presented. The result is a non-linear and incomplete discourse, characterized by a question-probing tone. This impression is all the more heightened by the images and shots chosen by the filmmaker, which are juxtaposed with the words, thus subverting their original meaning. In this respect, The Camel accentuates the gravity of the discourse, adding a whole new dimension to the narratives. Indeed, it seems impossible to obliterate the inalienable nature of this right, the crimes caused by its non-recognition, the political struggles - past or present - with which it is associated, or the multiple anxieties - notably induced by the mental burden of contraception that is evoked here. The Camel thus underscores these women's voices and, above all, conveys the difficulty of expressing the different layers of complexity linked to their narratives, and therefore indirectly to their experiences. A chaos that also reflects the extent to which this act lies at the intersection of multiple issues, notably the construction of an eminently intimate narrative and a collective, political history.
 

Yulia Kaiava
Tënk Canada's editorial assistant