Introduction
Modern society faces a wide range of sociological issues; events such as wars and forced displacement can exacerbate the existing issues and have a significant negative impact on people’s lives. In the case of the war in Syria, the displacement of millions of Syrians to Lebanon exposed people to the risks of economic instability associated with immigration status and several other vulnerabilities, such as gender-based violence and child poverty. Among the changes that Syrian refugees had to face, not much attention is paid to the sudden high growth in child marriage rates and the impact that child marriage has on Syrian children.
The film Capernaum, released in 2018, explores the refugee crisis through the perspective of a young boy, Zain. While the film is not based on real events, it provides a realistic reflection of Syrian refugees’ experiences. The use of a child’s perspective in the film emphasizes the problem of child poverty and illustrates the immorality behind parents’ use of child marriage in attempts to escape poverty.
Film Themes
Urban Poverty and Its Impact on Family Relationships
Firstly, the central theme of the film Capernaum is urban poverty and its effects on relationships between children and their parents. Furthermore, the film explores how poverty forces people to have more children to support the family’s livelihood, resulting in neglect. Through the main character, Zain’s perspective, the viewer witnesses how a child’s frustration with living in poverty develops into anger, cruelty, and hatred for parents for being born in such a cruel world.
The film’s internal message in questioning the point of living in poverty is purely philosophical. It provides a powerful commentary on religious beliefs that associate wealth with the number of children in the family (Labaki, 2018). However, in application to real social issues, such as child marriage, the film showcases the extremes that parents from low-income families can go to in giving their young girls away in marriage or using them as exchange items.
Child Marriage and Its Consequences for Zain and His Sister
Next, the film’s coverage of the theme of child marriage is captured in the segment where Zain’s sister, Sahar, was given in marriage to a much older man named Assad. The decision was taken by Zain’s parents soon after it became clear that Sahar could bear children. Thus, Zain’s family received two hens as a marriage gift or exchange for Sahar.
The separation from his sister caused Zain to run away from home. After returning home, Zain learned that Sahar eventually died due to pregnancy complications, which also hurt Zain and caused him to attack Assad. In the end, Zain’s attack on Assad and his speech in court against his parents ended with Zain getting identification documents for the first time in his life.
Child Marriage Among Syrian Refugees: Real-World Reflections
Furthermore, the events shown in the film present a substantial reflection of the real situation with child marriage among Syrian refugees. According to Bartels et al. (2020), armed conflicts and forced displacement of the population create conditions of heightened risk of sexual violence, making life dangerous for women and young girls. In this case, a parental decision for early marriage of daughters is sourced from their desire to provide them with safer living conditions (Bartels et al., 2020).
On the other hand, financial hardships also influence parents’ decisions to give their young daughters in marriage to relieve some of their financial burdens. The notion is proven true by the statistical data showing that the number of Syrian refugee girls married before 18 increased almost three times (from 13% to 35% ) after the start of the conflict (Bartels et al., 2020). Therefore, the film draws public attention to critical social issues without limiting its focus to the theme of child poverty.
Interconnected Social Issues and the Symbolism of Capernaum
Considering the coverage of important social issues in the film, Capernaum shows the problems organically as the main character encounters them throughout the film’s story. Thus, the forced marriage of Zain’s sister does not present a standalone event. Instead, the issue is closely intertwined with other incidents happening to Zain, demonstrating the complexity of poverty and its connection with problems such as parental neglect, children’s involvement in criminal activities, and lack of documentation.
Therefore, in addition to showing realistic experiences of children living in poverty, the film also emphasizes their isolation from the world due to the lack of opportunities for them to escape lies and cruelty. Lastly, the name of the film, Capernaum, refers to the name of one of the three biblical towns that refused to repent for its sins and were ultimately condemned by Jesus. The film’s name symbolizes the situation in which people and children like Zain find themselves, where their life is doomed from the start.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this research discussed how the sociological issue of child marriage is demonstrated in the film Capernaum. The paper defined the film’s most unique attribute as its ability to connect several social issues in one experience of a child living in poverty. Furthermore, the film illustrates the negative consequences of child marriage on young girls and its effect on their family members. Lastly, the film provides a realistic reflection of the current refugee crisis in the Middle East and its impact on the increase in child marriage.
References
Bartels, S. A., Michael, S., & Buntig, A. (2020). Child marriage among Syrian refugees in Lebanon: At the gendered intersection of poverty, immigration, and safety. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 19(4), 472-487. Web.
Labaki, N. (2018). Capernaum [Film]. Mooz Films.