Educational Media Reviews Online

In 2002, the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 57/179, titled “Working towards the elimination of crimes against women committed in the name of honour.” The resolution clearly framed these kinds of crimes, which include honor killings, as a human rights issue meriting global concern. While many honor killings occur in Middle Eastern countries that have strict cultural perceptions of honor, they are by no means confined to that region of the world. In Passion, we witness a portrayal of daily life in one Syrian family as it marches toward an honor killing which male family members believe will save the family from further disgrace.

Passion is based on the true story of a woman who was murdered by her brother, uncle, and two cousins, all of whom believed her passion for song meant that she was “in love and adulterous.” Imene’s activist brother Rachid is in prison, and she and her husband Adnane are raising Rachid’s daughter, Joumana, along with their own children. Imene loves to sing and is a big fan of famed Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, but the male members of her extended family don’t understand her infatuation or trust her behavior. Imene’s uncle, Abû Sobhi, sends men to spy on her to determine if she is doing anything to bring shame or dishonor to her family. Displeased with Imene’s influence on Joumana, Abû Sobhi takes Joumana away from Imene and Adnane to live with her grandparents. As male family members become more and more convinced of Imene’s wrongdoings, female family members grow increasingly concerned for Imene’s safety.

Although the story is told in a predominantly realistic style, some cinematographic choices are puzzling. Additionally, the relevance of a minor character present at the film’s climax is not fully explained, nor is his relationship to the main characters in the film. The English subtitles (the film is in Arabic) do not detract at all and make it possible for the film to reach a wider audience. While the subject matter is difficult, director Mohamed Malas handles it deftly, crafting a dramatic feature with layered performances and multi-dimensional characters. This film would be a useful addition to academic, public, and school library collections and would provide a less graphic alternative to other dramatic feature films on honor killings, such as The Stoning of Soraya M(2009).

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