You are here:

Submission: Part I

Name: Submission: Part I
Director: Theo van Gogh
Released: 2004
Duration: 12 min

Representation Score

4.7/10

Fair

2004

Director

Theo van Gogh

Runtime

12 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

This short film uses the human body as a medium for political and religious critique. It excels in challenging traditional gender expectations and questioning religious institutions. However, its narrow focus limits its broader impact. The absence of LGBTQ+ narratives and disability representation keeps the film's scope specialized.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Submission: Part I have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or stories. It focuses on the intersection of religious beliefs and gendered sexual politics.

How does Submission: Part I portray gender?

Excellent

The film challenges traditional views by showing women initiating sexual encounters. It uses the female form to question patriarchal readings of scripture and traditional roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Submission: Part I?

Good

The film centers on the experiences of Muslims living in a Western secular society. It explores the tension between Islamic identity and Dutch secularism through a woman of color.

How does Submission: Part I represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film critiques religious institutions by highlighting how dogma can be used as a tool of systemic oppression. It questions traditional modesty norms to challenge the perceived sanctity of religious traditions.

Does Submission: Part I include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no characters with physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender hierarchies by presenting women as active agents rather than passive subjects.
Offers a focused exploration of the intersection between Islamic identity and Western secularism.
Uses bold visual metaphors to critique religious dogma and systemic oppression.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities and non-straight-centered narratives.
Does not include characters with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
The narrative scope is highly specialized, limiting its breadth of diverse perspectives.

Official Synopsis

The film tells the story of four fictional characters played by a single actress wearing a veil, but clad in a see-through chador, her naked body painted with verses from the Koran. The characters are Muslim women who have been abused in various ways. The film contains monologues of these women and dramatically highlights three verses of the Koran that give authority to men over women, by showing them painted on women’s bodies.

How are these scores produced? →