#hutterites

[larslikesbeans]

This is how it feels to green out watching documentaries about hutterites

[amishmennoman]

A Hutterite farm manager says prayer before a communal meal (from the Canadian Film Board documentary, The Hutterites).

[dannyreviews]

Women Talking (2022)

Sarah Polley is one of those auteurs whose filmography plays out like a student learning their craft. Her feature film debut “Away From Her” was simplistic in its narrative, then came her autobiographical documentary “Stories We Tell” where her storytelling improved. Now we have “Women Talking” which is Polley coming into a milieu of character development and emotional strife. With the Academy Awards only a few hours away from the writing of this post, Polley will surely be dusting off space on her shelf for her well deserved Oscar.

From Miriam Toews’ novel of the same name, “Women Talking” focuses on a small group of women and girls in a Hutterite colony in Canada. Abuse has been rampant for a long time and things have hit a breaking point with the arrest of some of the colony’s most powerful elders. With charges pending, a meeting of some of the victims takes place in which a decision must be made. Will they stay behind and forgive their abusers, which would mean a place in heaven? Or will they desert the only home they ever know and risk eternal damnation? Over the course of 24 hours, that choice is debated back and forth.

The only thing contemporary about “Women Talking” is the year that the story takes place; 2010. Beyond that, this is as much a period piece as any classic novel from the 19th century adapted by Merchant-Ivory or David Lean. The characters’ fashion, speech, demeanor and movement all harken back to a long ago era, despite the year and their insulation from the outside world is also odd. Just like the Amish in Pennsylvania or Hasidic Jews in parts of Brooklyn, the past is the present, and the present is non-existent. The choice to photograph in semi-black and white was also wise as if to illustrate the purgatory that each woman lives through on a daily basis, but also the fact that they live in another universe that happens to be on Earth. Even the film score by Oscar winner Hildur Guðnadóttir has the feel of a Sci-fi epic, but with a more Classical slant. It may have taken place in recent years and brings up now-current issues such as #MeToo, but “Women Talking” couldn’t be more of an anomaly in so many categories, and that winds up being the film’s greatest strength.

“Women Talking” starts very deceptively as a Brecht style drama in which dialogue is spoken more in verse format and there’s very little emotion from each character. Words repeat nonstop and you wonder what the nucleus of the film really is. But that is the entire point, these women are conditioned to act as common folk, knowing very little about things that the majority of humanity take for granted, like maps and grammatical punctuation. Brecht’s work can be seen as dry poetic legalese, that stagnates the environment around its characters. But then gradually, the dialogue becomes more free-flowing, the sentences much looser in pronunciation and the cries much more melodic, rather than pent up and the colors even become a little brighter. As you see the characters evolve, so do their surroundings.

One of the drawbacks about a film’s ensemble is that there are no truly standout performances, but rather little standout scenes. The cast spans from veterans like Judith Ivey, Frances McDormand and Sheila McCarthy to the newer crop of actresses like Claire Foy, Rooney Mara and Jessie Buckley. All of them are equally amazing and do their own acting exercises which illuminates the drama. Ivey is the one that has the most heart tugging scenes. Being the eldest of the group, her character Agata knows only the few acres of land as her world, but its her strength that makes her see beyond familiarity. Foy’s Salome is another character whose hurt and injury is all over her face and voice. Buckley’s Mariche is probably the most delicate of the women, precious like a porcelain doll, but fragile like cracked glass. The problem is, not enough time is given to really let us know these women individually, as opposed to as the collective that are presented as. That is not the fault of the screenplay, but the plot’s setting and circumstances. That being said, I would have liked to at least see one or two characters up close as a sample of what life in the colony was like instead of brief flashbacks that give off a superficial experience.

After tonight’s Oscar ceremony, whether or not Sarah Polley wins the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, she will be a major player in Hollywood and I hope she takes advantage of it well. “Women Talking” may not be perfect, but it’s the calling card for a fruitful career that I hope will be rich in future masterpieces.

8/10

[anneliesia]

what's a hutterite?

Hutterites are an ethnoreligious group with roots in the Christian Anabaptist tradition, thus we are related to and share similarities with the Amish and Mennonites. Our origins date back to the 16th century in what is now Austria and Germany, and we’re named after Jacob Hutter. Our faith emphasizes community, humility, peace, and shared resources, Hutterites are often mentioned in communist thought because in our colonies we collectively own all property.

We speak a German dialect but also use English. Hutterites are both a religious and ethnic people, and it’s central to who we are.

Apologies for the rather inadequate explanation but we are a centuries-old people and it is difficult to explain in a Tumblr post.

[drafty-castle]

Just… just read this. This form of caring, of community, of consideration is what we desperately need today.

Also, this made me lol

[talkingpictures2020]

Tim Smith Among the Hutterites

Tim Smith is a photojournalist by profession, but his personal work takes the form of long-term immersive documentary. A Manitoban, these documentary projects focus on the vast plains of the North American prairie. While this is a region that maintains a certain mythic status in the imagination, it is one often neglected in the continent’s contemporary visual chronicle. This is an omission that Tim Smith has worked hard to rectify. His photographs bring a lively and empathic eye to the experiences of those who call the prairies home. And among these projects, the best-known follows the lives of the region’s Hutterite communities.

Made over the past fifteen years, this work may well be the most extensive photographic documentation of Hutterite culture ever produced. Published and exhibited throughout the world, his images capture the depth and texture of their community life with quiet clarity and grace.

Tim Smith speaks with Talking Pictures about the importance of building relationships and working slowly.

[federer7]

Hutterite Classroom. Gildford, Montana. 2005

Photo: Christopher Churchill

[montyshistoryblog]

I found a quote of a Hutterite yelling at a pastor in 1525, and I couldn't stop myself turning it into something. Sloppy as fuck cause this is like, 10 minutes work.

[sayhowdycountrycritters]

If anyone is interested in the subject content, I have another blog , @amishmennoman , which is a collection of photographs of Anabaptists males; Amish, Mennonites, Hutterites, and Old German Baptist Brethren. There is so much misinformation and misconceptions about the Anabaptist churches, and as this site is mostly visual, if you have questions I’d be happy to try an answer questions or direct you to good academic resources.

[miss-umman-manda]

I hate working in education so much it’s unreal

[spurgie-cousin]

Mormonism is a cult that involves Jesus that is on just an entirely different level to other Jesus cults

Ok but how? Because in extremity, in control, in sexism, etc I personally feel like we can make a few parallels. Yea Joseph Smith added some things onto the Bible/removed others but even that isn't super unique

[anneliesia]

Traditional Hutterite braids

[amishmennoman]

A Hutterite colony’s school teacher, from the Canadian Film Board documentary, The Hutterites.

[robinlynnemabin]

Amish Enterprise (The Unfair Advantage) with Elbert Lee. Amish VillagesAmish Mennonite Hutterite EconomicsAmish ManufacturingYoder, Kansas    Unfair Amish & Mennonite Advantages For Success: Living In Rural Communities Off The GridEntrepreneural FamiliesFamily Based Businesses 💰Family Based IndustriesDebt Free HousingLow or No Utility Bills

[whiteprairieroses]

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