Dark color is always intimidating. So, what comes across your mind when you’re seeing a woman wearing a black niqab?

Given the constant portrayal of Muslim radicals as the perpetrators of terror attacks, seeing a woman in niqab — a veil covering the entire body, including the hair and face, exposing only the eyes — one would instantly relate it to radicalism.

Prejudice probably comes to mind.

Is she a part of a hard-line organization? Is she a wife of a terrorist? Does she wear the niqab all day long? Why does she wear a niqab instead of hijab, a head covering veil?  

Your list of questions may grow once you watch Khalifah, a film about life in a pesantren (Islamic boarding school). This is the second film by Nurman Hakim, who directed 3 Doa 3 Cinta (3 Wishes, 3 Loves).  

Both films are related to a Muslim community which, according to Nurman, were highly influenced by his boyhood experiences in a pesantren. He believes that filmmakers normally explore their life experiences before touching other ideas for their films.

Nurman said the inspiration for Khalifah came from his surroundings. His sister in-law, in fact, also wears a niqab. The film mostly revolves around Khalifah, played by Marsha Timothy, a beautiful young woman who works in a beauty salon owned by a Chinese descendant.

Khalifah gives up her dream of a college degree because of harsh economic realities. Instead, she focuses on helping her family get by. Her father makes money as a caretaker of a musholla, a small mosque in her neighborhood. Her younger brother is still in senior high school.

The family struggles to earn enough to pay the rent on their house. They had had to sell it to the neighbors previously to pay for medical treatment for their late mother.

In order to minimize the financial burden on the family and to realize her dream of sending her brother to a university, Khalifah accepts her father’s offer to marry Rasyid, played by television presenter Indra Herlambang, a man she had never met. After the marriage, the two get settled in a house in the same neighborhood as her family.

Khalifah quickly adapts her new role as wife and eventually falls in love with Rasyid, who at first appearance is a loving and gentle husband. She even begins wearing a hijab, knowing that her husband wishes to see her in the Muslim attire.  

Later, Rasyid is revealed to be a serious and over religious man, often quoting verses from the Holy Koran to convey an order or protect his ego.

His job as an Arabic goods dealer leaves Khalifah lonely, as Rasyid frequently travels outside the city.

Khalifah later befriends Yoga, her good-hearted and handsome neighbor who makes his living as a tailor, played by Ben Joshua.

Khalifah grows attracted to Yoga, but she manages to hold back her feelings and continue in her day-to-day activity. The film reaches a critical point when Rasyid orders her to wear a niqab after experiencing marital difficulties.  

While Rasyid continues his frequent travels, Khalifah has to deal with a number of unpleasant experiences that come with wearing a niqab. She loses her job and receives rude treatment on the street.

Khalifah is a beautiful, loving woman. But after wearing the niqab she becomes a stranger. Khalifah, who begins to feel anonymous under her black veil, questions other people’s reasons to wear a niqab.
She also begins to question her husband’s weird attitudes, which include having two identity cards.

The film, narrated by Khalifah, is silent from the start, full of gestures and miming. There is nothing wrong with the style, but the long pauses and silence get boring.    The plot of the ordinary daily life of
long-haired Khalifah, her marriage and her decision to wear hijab moves very slowly.  

Audience’s eyes are opened wide only when a heartbreaking moment leads to Rasyid to order her to wear the niqab.

Marsha (Pintu Terlarang or Forbidden Door) delivered natural acting that portrayed battles of doubt lingering in Khalifa’s mind regarding the drastic transformation in her appearance.

Marsha fans should not expect to see her pretty face matched with gorgeous outfits because she is playing an ordinary girl who wears a niqab.

Ben, who often appears in TV film (FTV), plays the romantic character with ease. While Indra, who is known to be very talkative, broke type by playing a gloomy and serious character.

The two actors were not bad, but they only appeared in several scenes, leaving a rather weak impression of the love conflict.

Actor Brohisman (3 Doa, 3 Cinta) stole the show with his strong emotional acting as Khalifah’s father.  

Khalifah won’t satisfy audiences seeking a happy ending. When leaving the cinema, you may still be guessing at some unanswered questions.

This film shows Nurman’s idealistic view. It successfully delivers a strong message on prejudice, but the serious topic may be difficult to sell in the home country.

Verdict: This film will become an eye opener for people who are not familiar with women wearing a niqab. Just work to sit through the early boring scenes.

Popular

Great Barrier Reef hit by record bleaching

Govt to undo latest curbs on personal imports

Middle East on edge as Israel and Iran trade threats