In Yemen, the native country of the Queen of Sheba, there are many kinds of veils and many ways to veil oneself. Veils are important distinguishing features for women who are otherwise uniformly clothed in black. Each veil and the way it is worn reveals the social status of its bearer and carries a particular message. Rich and modern women choose the Magrama, a headscarf with bright colours. The flirtatious ones have a hair lock sticking out which is a symbol for long journeys and an open-minded character. The Khimar is far stricter. It covers the entire body. But when the women show their eyebrows, it is an erotic signal.

By approaching the topic of the veil from the point of view of fashion and ethnography, this cheerful documentary throws fresh light on a highly controversial subject. In her first film Swiss anthropologist Vanessa Langer unveils the symbols, hidden messages and codex of the veil but she also shows the emancipation that allowed the different veils and veiling methods in the first place. Before, women could hardly move in their traditional Citara. With the modern veils, the women have gained the right to express themselves within society.

A playful ritual or a cruel game? A girl is innocently waiting for the school bus. A moment later, a man bundles her into a passing car where his accomplices, the "grooms" are already sitting. "I don't want to be late for school", the girl shouts. "Your classes are over", the man answers. In the former Soviet Republic of Kyrgyzstan, bride kidnapping is a common way for men to get married when they are not rich enough to pay the typically very high dowries.

The abducted woman is dragged by the groom and several friends into a house where the mother-in-law-to-be is already waiting with a veil. She throws the veil over the girl's head, like you would catch a butterfly in a net. A delegation is then sent to the girl's family to inform them of the abduction. The family usually give their consent to the marriage. The only way out of it is if the girl manages to escape from the kidnapper's house. He will then set out to look for a new girl to abduct.

Although bride kidnapping has been officially forbidden in Kyrgyzstan since 1994, it has increased since the country's independence due to increasing poverty. When they cannot afford the price asked by a girl's family, many men choose kidnapping instead. Director Petr Lom is the first to ever document this custom. In his impressive debut film he follows the dramatic stories of four bride kidnappings.