Persona (2020)

Directed by: Maartje Bakers | 25 minutes | short film, documentary | With: Merel Beernink, Dorothy Blokland, Tess Kooistra, Daphne Neuféglise, Wendie Siwaletti-Verweij, Maya Wildevuur

In the early hours, between about six and seven in the morning, most of the people get up. Often rudely awakened by the alarm clock, sometimes still half asleep at breakfast or in the shower, choosing an outfit for the day and then on the way to work, study or something else. Many women need on average more time for that morning ritual than men, just to get a cliché out of the closet. What do women do to make themselves presentable in their own eyes, why do they choose this: for themselves or for the outside world?

The short documentary ‘Personae’, which filmmaker Maartje Bakers made as part of Teledoc Campus, starts with observing women in public transport. You can almost shamelessly look at the filmed women, every wrinkle or unevenness is in the picture. Then Bakers shifts the focus to her main characters: six completely different women are filmed alternately. From the moment they are still in deep rest to the moment they are ready to leave the safety of the house. Ready for the day.

What’s surprising about ‘Personae’ is the absence of dialogue. You don’t even hear a voice-over that tells anything about the living conditions of the women, their profession or family composition, for example. You have to try to understand this from the context. The fact that you may therefore make use of assumptions and prejudices is unavoidable, but that is precisely why the images are more impressive. It is extremely brave of the filmed women to sometimes literally expose themselves like this. ‘Personae’ has become a fascinating documentary. It is an ode to the beauty of the woman in all her imperfections. It makes you think about the often unnecessarily strict demands that many women place on themselves with regard to their appearance. ‘Personae’ was nominated for a Golden Calf in the category Best Short Documentary at the Netherlands Film Festival 2020, but unfortunately did not win.