THE DIVINE ORDER/ DIE GOTTLICHE ORDNUNG

Switzerland, 2017, 97 minutes, Colour.
Marie Leuenberger, Maximilian Simonischek, Sybille Brunner.
Directed by Petra Volpe.

A significant time in Switzerland, the issue of votes for women, February 1971.

Probably this piece of information will come as a surprise to most audiences. After all, New Zealand had votes for women in the late 19th century. The suffragettes of the early part of the 20th century in the UK would have been very surprised to learn that Swiss women would not get the vote until over half a century later. And, the film adds at the end, the last Canton in Switzerland to approve votes for women did this in 1990.

To get us in a frame of mind, the film opens with the feminist movement, especially in the United States, in the 1960s and into the 1970s, glimpses of Gloria Steiner and other feminists, demonstrations and protests.

This is the story of Nora, a housewife in a remote German-speaking village where there was little awareness of feminism. But, of course, with Nora, this was to change.

The screenplay of the film cannot be described as particularly subtle. The patriarchal aspects of Swiss society are very obviously presented and, in case we don’t notice, we are continually nudged to notice. While there is a touch of parody in the presentation of the patriarchal life in the village, the role of men, the acknowledgement of men as superior, The Divine Order, there is also an acknowledgement that this is and has been reality.

The women are expected to stay at home in this village, looking after the children, doing the cooking, the cleaning (and, as Nora hoovers the living room and her cantankerous father-in-law sits reading the paper, raising his feet so that she can hoover under them without any acknowledgement of her besides this) and continually wash socks. She has two sons – who will later assert that they are boys and therefore…

Her husband works in a factory and is summoned to a meeting by an unmarried and rather dominating woman who, surprisingly, promotes him, and then gives a speech against the impending vote about women’s rights and politics. The men all agree. Later she turns up at a meeting of the women’s club, asking for donations for the cause. By this time, Nora has been made aware of the campaign for women’s suffrage and refuses to donate.

While this might cause and shock horror, Nora has read some pamphlets, appreciates how she is put upon by the men in the family, has a compassion for her sister-in-law who is even more put upon, and her sister-in-law’s daughter who wants to get out of the village, is underage, is nicknamed the village bike and who is put into an institution and then, after escaping, into prison.

In collaboration with Vroni, an older woman in the village who was in favour of the suffrage in the 1959 campaign, who has lost the restaurant she worked in for 40 years, and with Graziella, the new owner, an Italian, they plan to have a meeting about women’s rights. Even more shock horror from the men. This is compounded when the three women decide to visit Zürich to look at a protest march, get caught up in it and are photographed with a banner.

The meeting is something of a fiasco, stacked with men, the prim unmarried woman dominating the conversation and asking for a show of hands – almost unanimously against the vote for women. However, some of the women secretly agree and the movement begins to grow, leading to a Lysistrata moment (the women going on strike and leaving their husbands at home to do everything).

Coupled with this is a story about the women of the village, their ignorance about sexuality and their bodies, movements of bodily and sexual awareness (led by a Swedish expert).

On the day of the vote, the women stand outside watching while a procession of men pass through and place their ballots. The vote for women is carried.

The film was released in 2017, the year of the Harvey Weinstein revelations, the Me Too# movement and other vigorous women’s movements – which gives even more of a resonance to this heavily-messaged film.

1. The title? The traditional patriarchy? Feminism? The 1970s? From the perspective of the 21st-century?

2. A Swiss film, the history of Swiss voting for women’s rights, Switzerland’s feminist history in the early 1970s? The protest movement?

3. Suffragette movements from the 19th century, into the 20th century, Switzerland very late? Comparisons with New Zealand, the United Kingdom of the suffragettes? The last Canton voting for women’s rights in 1990?

4. The political movement and the feminist movement coinciding and combining in Switzerland?

5. The screenplay and its direct approach – not subtle? Nudging and forcing audiences to notice the patriarchal style and the subjugation of women?

6. The introduction, the feminist movement in the 1960s, the United States, Gloria Steiner and other leaders? The remote Swiss village not touched by this movement?

7. Nora, her story, her life in the village, growing up there, marrying, having children? On her bike? Her family, the relationship with Hans, with the two boys, her crotchety father-in-law living with them? Her relationship with Theres? Werner, the farm, his father wanting him to manage it alone? Oppressive? Her niece, Hannah and her troubles? The focus on the domestic details? The experience of the patriarchy?

8. The early sequences, the role of women, the role of men, in the home, cleaning, cooking, washing, hoovering, the father-in-law lifting his feet for the hoover, the attitude of the sons, claiming they were boys and had male rights? The comments by the father-in-law?

9. Nora, taking life for granted, seeing the advertisement for the secretary for the travel agency, not allowed to apply without her husband’s permission, by law? The story of Magda, her studying law, giving it up for her husband and his not encouraging her to continue? Graziella, the restaurant, her philandering husband, the divorce, taking him back, his going off at times? The experience of Vroni, her husband, the restaurant, 40 years, losing her home? Nora’s speech at her funeral – the contrast with the speech of the pastor and his completely happy recount of Vroni’s life?

10. The factory, the men, their attitudes, their incomprehensibility about women? Their actions and speech – so much cringeworthy for the contemporary audience?

11. Miss Wipf, her appearance, speeches, her control, spinster, her career? The judgement on the men, Hans and his promotion? Her stance against the vote for women? Her speeches about women and their place, the home and family? Biblical quotes? Her collection for money from the women’s club – and Nora refusing?

12. Hannah’s story, her age, suppressed by her parents, called the bike of the village, talking with Nora, clashes with her mother, the music in her room? Using Nora to meet her boyfriend, going off on the bike, her being put in the institution, transfer to the prison?

13. Nora, her meeting with of Vroni and the street, Magda? Vroni and her story, going to the old restaurant? The true story? Her life, wanting to vote in 1959, tough attitudes, outspoken, the cigars? The decision to hold a meeting, going to make the booking for the meeting? Nora and her meeting with feminists, giving her pamphlets and books?

14. The decision about the meeting, raising the cash, Graziella helping, printing the flyers, putting them around the town, the hostile reactions, Theres and her upset when visiting Hannah with Nora? Changing your attitude? Leaving Werner? His violence? Hans away? Their booking the hall, the proprietor talking about God’s will, Vroni’s retort about adultery? God’s Order?

15. Zürich, the visit, the March, the joining in, being photographed, the men seeing it in thet factory? Going to the party, the workshop with the Swedish leader, reversing repression? Sexual awareness, physical and bodily awareness, the reaction of the women, the mirrors, orgasm…?

16. The meeting, Nora’s speech, Hans arriving, upset, Miss Wipf and righteous interventions? the vote for and against? Nora being pelted? Hans not defending her? The reaction of the town – the boys, school, the little boy not wanting to go because of the attitude of the children?

17. The strike, the experience, more women joining, the solidarity, playing cards, drinking, talking, sleeping in the dormitories? The stone thrown in the window? The attack, the men? Vroni’s collapse?
18. The women going home, resuming chores? Hans and Nora, his buying a ticket for the holiday, her going to the interview for the job, getting the job? The separation? Staying
with Graziella? With the children? Her speech at the funeral – and Hans holding her hand?

19. The impact of the funeral, the town there, Vroni’s memory, Nora speaking the truth?

20. The date the vote, the women en masse, the men walking through the women, their voting?

21. The information about the result, throughout Switzerland?

22. The changes at home, Theres and her changing, reunited with Hannah, Hans going to see Werner and his collapse at the farm, Hans rebuking his father-in-law? Hans and Nora, the sexual discussion and experience?

23. 20th century politics and feminism?