YOUR NAME IS JUSTINE

Poland/Luxembourg, 2005, 97 minutes, Colour.
Anna Cieslak, Arno Frisch, Rafael Mackowiak, Matthieu Carriere, Dominique Pinon.
Directed by Franco D. Pena.

Your Name is Justine is a frightening melodrama about the white slave trade. During the 1990s, especially after the fall of the Soviet empire, traffic in women to the West and to the Middle East increased dramatically. A powerful film about this same them, more powerful than this film, is Amos Gitai’s Promised Land. It portrays women going into Egypt, crossing the border into Israel and being auctioned there at night. They then make their way to the Red Sea resorts where they are trained and groomed and then sent around Israel. Another similar film with a Finnish- Russian setting is Luke Moodysson’s Lilya 4-ever. This film shows an innocent Polish girl, working in a factory, with few prospects, who is entranced by her boyfriend and happily goes on a holiday with him.

In Germany, the situation changes and he abandons her to a group of white slave traders. She is imprisoned for several days, her will is worn down and eventually she has to succumb to her fate.

The film shows the personalities of people involved in this trade, the effect on the victims. One man shows some sign of compassion, takes her under his wing, sets her up by himself – but she finally wreaks revenge on him and is sentenced to prison. The film ends with her returning to Poland and the possibilities of a new life, meeting her girlfriend who had married, prospects of a more stable future.

The film is very well acted. Anna Cieslak, in her first major role, is completely convincing as the young woman. The film was directed by a Venezuelan, Franco de Pena, who trained in Poland and made several films there.

1. The impact of the film? For men? Women? Based on an actual story? The reality of eastern European women sold into prostitution in western Europe?

2. The Polish settings, the background for the story? The transition to Berlin, the ugly apartment, the courtyard? The streets? The more affluent apartment? The musical score?

3. The background for Mariola? The slaughterhouse, the treatment of the pigs, the girls and their being tested, the girl afraid, Mariola and her success? The three girls at home, Mariola and her relationship with Artur? His visit, hiding from Grandmother? Mariola’s relationship to her grandmother? Decision to go with Artur, the departure, packing? The travel, the bond with Artur, his phoning his father, hopes for a holiday in Cologne, meeting the family?

4. Going to the apartment, the woman with the baby? The men arriving, her gradual realisation of what had happened? Their brutality, the rape? Niko and his trying to help, getting her to pretend? The dramatic impact of her fate? Trapped, alone, brutalised?

5. Mariola in the apartment, her trying to get out, the door, the windows, the high courtyard? Her screaming, the people on the building site, the gardener, nobody hearing her scream? Getting out on the ledge, her inability to throw herself off? The mouldy bread? The water, her flooding the apartment, having the electricity – but not effective against the men?

6. Niko, his being trapped in the same way as Mariola? His wanting to help? His getting permission to have her for ten days? After the intimidation, the kindness? Yet his wanting to be in control of her? The threat of her being sold to the Emirates? Her being lost forever? His persuading her, her putting on the dress? Yet her resistance, cutting her hair?

7. The food, her being hungry, her pretending, the wigs and the clothes? Getting Niko drunk, the attempt to escape? His hold over her? Artur and the photo of her grandmother, the threats? Artur forcing her to write a letter to her grandmother?

8. The confrontation with the gang, the personalities of the gang, their ruthlessness? Niko and the gun, the shooting, the escaping? Driving, her getting out, nowhere to go, going with Niko, Uncle Goran and his control? The interview? His setting her up in Cologne?

9. The fancy apartment, Niko as a pimp, smart dressing, her clothes? The collage of clients coming to the apartment? Her asking for help, their not helping her?

10. The gang finally discovering where they were, Artur and his arrival, confrontation of Mariola, her stabbing him? Telling Niko to go? Her being arrested?

11. Her time in prison, the three years passing, her going back to Poland, visiting her grandmother’s grave, meeting the friends, wandering the beach? Wondering what would happen to her, wondering why such terrible things had happened to her?

12. Her identity as Mariola, Polish, friends, working? The transition to her name being Justine, the prostitute? Her never giving up her identity?

13. The film’s comment on white slavery in Europe at the beginning of the 21st century? Its extent, the gangs, the women as victims and trapped?