THE VEIL UNVEILED (REGARDS SUR LE VOILE)

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.