You are here:

Scales

Name: Scales
Director: Shahad Ameen
Released: 2020
Duration: 74 min

Representation Score

7.0/10

Good

2020

Director

Shahad Ameen

Runtime

74 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Scales is a compelling fantasy drama that uses a small fishing village to challenge traditional power structures. By focusing on Hayat, a girl fighting against a brutal ritual of sacrifice, the film highlights the destructive nature of patriarchal authority and communal dogma. The film shines in its cultural and gender critiques, moving away from Western-centric storytelling to explore a specific, non-Anglo-Saxon perspective. It replaces passive female roles with active resistance, making the protagonist's struggle a necessary fight against a harmful status quo. While the film lacks specific depictions of LGBTQ+ identities or disability, its challenge to social norms provides a deep exploration of systemic oppression.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Scales have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film doesn't explicitly include queer identities or same-sex relationships. However, it challenges the idea that everyone is straight or cisgender by criticizing the traditional family's role in causing harm.

How does Scales portray gender?

Excellent

Hayat is a strong, determined girl who stands up against male-dominated traditions. The story shifts power from the village leaders to a young girl, showing her strength and independence.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Scales?

Good

The film looks closely at a non-Western community that is often overlooked. It focuses on a specific ethnic and socioeconomic context, avoiding a Western-centric view.

How does Scales represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film questions harmful traditions, such as ritualistic sacrifices, which are portrayed as corrupt practices. It shows the family unit as a source of potential harm rather than stability.

Does Scales include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no explicit mention of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the story.

Present on Screen

Strong challenge to traditional gender hierarchies through a capable female protagonist.
Sophisticated questioning of oppressive cultural traditions and systemic harm.
Nuanced, non-Western perspective that avoids homogenized storytelling clichés.

Limited or Absent

Lack of explicit representation for LGBTQ+ identities or queer stories.
No visible focus on physical or neurodivergent disability representation.

Official Synopsis

Hayat, a 12-year-old strong-willed girl, lives in a poor fishing village governed by dark tradition, in which every family must give away a daughter to the sea creatures who inhabit the waters near by. In turn, the sea creatures are hunted by the men of the village. Saved from this ordeal by her father, Hayat is outcasted by her village and considered a curse. But Hayat never surrenders. When Hayat’s mother gives birth to her new-born brother, Hayat must accept the brutal custom by sacrificing herself to these creatures or find a way to escape.

How are these scores produced? →