Earlier last week, my History 105 class studied a short satirical film called BabaKieuria. The Australian mockumentary depicts the relationship of Indigenous people and the colonizing Europeans. The film demonstrates a reversal of roles where the people of European decent or “whites” are colonized by the Indigenous people, or “blacks”. Not only does the film portray the struggles of those who were colonized in history, but it also reflects the ignorance of the colonizers who are blind to the awful lives of those who are oppressed. In relation to the film, The Handmaid’s Tale, I compared the Gilead regime to the ignorant colonizers of Australia in the film.
The Gilead government believes that they are benefiting the country by imposing their harsh laws its civilians, telling them that they have “freedom from” rather than “freedom to.” The women of Gilead are free from sexual harassment and rape, but they lose freedom to many other rights like reading and taking up jobs. The government supposedly believes that their lives are now better because they are better protected. However, they are blind to the fact that many citizens are suffering, losing their identities and restricted from many basic necessities of life.
In BabaKieuria, the “black” colonizers restrict the “whites” from many freedoms as well. “Whites” are treated unfairly by the police force, and children are taken away by the government to be put into residential schools without any other choice.” When interviewed, the Government Minister assumes that the “whites” require “help” and “a place in society.” He further states that “most white people are happy with what were doing for them” and that it is the governments duty to make decisions about what the “whites” want. These Indigenous Europeans have no say in politics and society.
Upon finishing The Handmaid’s Tale, I immediately related the Gilead autonomy to the colonizing government in BabaKieuria. The film was incredibly interesting as it not only showed the negative affects of colonization and the unequal treatment of Indigenous peoples, but it also portrayed the ignorance and blindness of the colonizers themselves, similar to the leaders of Gilead.
On a side note, it feels like The Handmaid’s Tale and Babakieuria also connect to the oppression of the Indigenous Aboriginal peoples of Canada, which we are currently learning in class. I think its awesome that all these courses in our CAP stream are connecting, even if slightly.
One reply on “Gilead and Australian Colonizers?”
Hi Ricky, thanks for your post! While I initially thought it was a little ambitious to compare these two seemingly dissimilar works, The Handmaid’s Tale and Babakieuria, I certainly think you’re correct in linking both to broader themes of state-sponsored marginalization and repression of a group, and there are actually some strangely similar points in your post that tie the two together even more than I originally thought. For example, when the government minister in Babakieuria said that the whites needed a place in society, I could not help but think of the incredibly regimented roles that the government of Gilead dictates for its citizens, particularly the handmaids. In addition, when he further states that most white people are happy with what the colonizing government is doing for them, I also remembered the general apathy, perhaps verging on contentment that is exhibited by many citizens of Gilead concerning the new regime, despite its blatant acts of repression. While I might not necessarily call the leaders of Gilead blind and ignorant, their policies and methods are eerily similar to those employed by colonial governments, something that I never would have considered without your post. Thanks!