Introduction
Mustang is a film that was written by Deniz Gamze Erguven and Alice Winocour. It was
directed by Deniz Gamze Erguven and produced by Charles Gillibert. The film was released in
2015, and it has managed to generate approximately $4.9 million at the box office, which is good
considering that its budget was $1.3 million. The main characters in the film are Lale, Nur, Ece,
Selma, Sonay, grandmother, Osman, and Erol. Correspondingly, the film is based in Turkey, and
its primary themes are sexuality patriarchy, and sexual abuse. Notably, the film is based on the
lives of five girls who live with their grandmother and uncle in Turkey. The analysis of the film
enables the audience to appreciate the impact of patriarchy, sexual abuse, and conservative
cultural practices on the lives of women. In this light, the fundamental intent of this particular
paper is to examine the film from a multidimensional vantage point in order to appreciate the
primary message being conveyed by the writers. Indeed, the producer, writers, and director have
received numerous awards for the film because of the fashion that they addressed on the most
controversial subjects, especially in the Arab world (Ozkirimli, 2014) . In particular, the director
won Camera d’Or and best director awards during the Cannes Film Festival and Cesar Awards.
Similarly, it managed to clinch the best feature movie and best film awards that were issued by
Polish Filmmaker’s Association and Lumieres Awards, respectively (Winocour & Ergüven,
2019) . The film enables the audience to appreciate that it is vital for society to fight against some
of the conservative cultural practices because they contravene human rights and freedoms.
Background
Mustang is a film about five sisters who live with their grandmother and uncle in Turkey.
The grandmother is so overprotective to the extent that she denied the five sisters the opportunity
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to pursue their education after she found out they played with a number of boys on their way
from school. The outrageous decision was based on the assumption that the five sisters are likely
to develop romantic relationships with boys if they continue going to school (Winocour &
Ergüven, 2019) . Consequently, that would deny them the opportunity to be married because
those romantic relationships were likely to evolve into sexual ones. Due to that aspect, the five
sisters were required to stay at home at all times. Notably, their grandmother used that particular
opportunity to equip them with skills that they eligible for marriage. As a result, the five sisters
were taught how to clean, cook, and sew. Most importantly, their grandmother emphasized the
essence of dressing conservatively, and she ensured that they did so. However, the five sisters
never followed all the instructions issued by their grandmothers. Thus, they would sneak out of
the compound on a regular basis in order to pursue their interests. At one point, the girls decided
to go watch a football match at a stadium where men were banned. The match was broadcasted
live on one of the local television stations, and their aunty spotted them while watching it. After
that, she went ahead to interfere with the power supply, thereby causing a blackout in the
neighborhood. Indeed, the aunty triggered the blackout because she was extremely embarrassed
by the five sisters. Accordingly, she was determined to ensure that none of the men in the
neighborhood watched the match because they would see the five sisters, and that would
undermine their chances of getting married.
Consequently, the grandmother put in place mechanisms that geared towards minimizing
the five sisters’ capacity to sneak out of the house. However, those mechanisms fell short
because Sonay used to sneak out regularly in order to meet her boyfriend. As a result, the
grandmother decided to marry them off immediately, and she notified the community about her
intentions. In effect, a number of suitors presented themselves to her, and the Selma was married
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off against her will to one of them. Similarly, Sonay was married off but to her boyfriend
because she refused to get married to the suitor who was chosen by the grandmother.
Unsurprisingly, the family of the suitor who asked for Selma’s hand in marriage insisted that
they need to confirm whether or not she is a virgin before the wedding takes place. Thus, the
family members went to inspect the room where Selma and her fiancé consummated with the
hope they would find stains of blood. However, that was not the case, and the family insisted
Selma’s virginity had to be confirmed by a physician. Accordingly, Selma visited the physician
who confirms she was a virgin; hence, Sonay and her had a joint wedding. Evidently, Sonay
highly enjoyed the wedding because she was being married by the love of her life, unlike Selma,
who was getting into an arranged marriage. Correspondingly, it was unfortunate that their uncle
sexually abused Ece and Nur as their grandmother was waiting for suitors (Winocour &
Ergüven, 2019) . As a result, Ece ended up taking her life away, whereas Nur and Lale managed
to escape from home. The most peculiar aspect of the sexual abuse was the fact that their
grandmother was well aware of his son’s behavior. However, she did not protect the girls against
sexual abuse.
Sexuality
Indeed, sexuality has been one of the most controversial topics in society for years.
Arguably, it is because a substantive fraction of society believes that matters pertaining to
sexuality ought to be addressed from a religious vantage point. The analysis of the religious
composition of the Turkish society confirms that approximately 98% of the total population
constitutes of Muslims (Gunel, 2018) . In effect, Turkish culture is mainly based on the tenets of
Islam. As a result, the rights and freedom of the Lesbians, Bisexual, Gay, Queers, and
Transgender (LGBTQ) members of society are not respected. Perhaps, it is because a majority of
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the people believe that the LGBTQ community comprises individuals who are immoral (Cetrez,
Avcı, & Kotaman, 2014) . The wide prevalence of such conservative views on matters pertaining
to sexuality has resulted in a scenario whereby a majority of the people who are either lesbians,
gay, bisexual, queer, or transgender feel like Turkey is a hostile environment for them. Due to
that aspect, some of the members of the LGBTQ community choose to hide their sexuality
because they are afraid of victimization. Notably, one of the ways that they achieve the above-
mentioned objective is by accepting to marry people of the opposite sex because it is the norm in
society. Unfortunately, the move has adverse implications on their mental health because it is
traumatizing for them to engage in heterosexual romantic or sexual activities. As if that is not
enough, it is extremely challenging for members of the LGBTQ community who are based in
Turkey and other countries where conservative cultural practices are upheld to access top-notch
counseling services. It is because guidance and counseling services are usually offered by
institutions such as schools, churches, and mosques. In consequence, an attempt to seek guidance
and counseling services from such institutions is likely to worsen the situation because there is a
high probability that the members of the LGBTQ community will be rebuked for their sexual
orientation by the counselors (Ozkirimli, 2014) . Due to that aspect, a majority of the members of
the LGBTQ community who are based in Turkey suffer from depression.
In that light, it is in the best interest of the LGBTQ community in Turkey to sensitize the
general public about the essence of promoting the freedom of sexuality. Indeed, the individuals
who choose to take part in such awareness campaigns should prepare themselves for backlash
(Thiel & Picq, 2015) . However, their efforts are likely to transform the society in the long run
even though they will be ridiculed and resented by a substantive fraction of the Muslim
community in the short run. The general rise in the number of people who are advocating for the
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freedom of sexuality is likely to result in a scenario whereby the members of the LGBTQ
community that are trapped in heterosexual marriage will be in a position to receive high-quality
counseling services (Trickett, Noll, & Putnam, 2011) . As a result, advocacy is likely to have
positive ramifications on the mental health of such individuals because they will be furnished
with skills that enable them to cope with their situations effectively. Most importantly, those
activists will effectively minimize the number of lesbians, gay, bisexual, queer, and transgender
members of society who are unwillingly married off to members of the opposite sex (Pillai &
Gannon, 2013) . Perhaps, their efforts might also result in a situation whereby the Turkish
government will enable up legalizing LGBTQ marriages even though the realization of such an
outcome is farfetched considering how challenging it is for people to realize paradigm shifts.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is considered as any sexual act, covert or overt, that takes place between an
adult and a child (Deblinger, Mannarino, Cohen, Runyon, & Heflin, 2015) . Sexual abuse is
known the have significant adverse as well as pervasive implications on the psychology of the
victim, as demonstrated in the film. The analysis of the film enables the audience to appreciate
that a substantive fraction of the victims of sexual abuse is usually abused by individuals who are
close to them. In particular, Ece and Nur were abused by their uncle, who is an individual who
was supposed to be taking care of them (Winocour & Ergüven, 2019) . Unfortunately, the two
sisters could not raise the alarm about the issue because women do not have a voice in
conservative cultures. As a result, it is highly probable that the two girls would have been
punished or further victimized if they dared to report about the sexual abuse to the relevant
authorities.
The characters Ece and Nur help the audience to improve their understanding of the
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adverse ramifications of sexual abuse (Winocour & Ergüven, 2019) . Evidently, sexual abuse
results in the deterioration of the victim’s mental health. As a result, most of the victims of
sexual harassment tend to develop mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression
(Corona, Maggi, & Jannini, 2014) . The depression is usually brought about by feelings of
worthlessness and helplessness. Similarly, anxiety is a product of the constant fear that they live
with because of the traumatic experience. Due to that aspect, it is common for victims of sexual
abuse to take their lives away just like Ece did if they do not receive the appropriate intervention
in good time (Mathews, 2019) . It is critical to note that a majority of the victims feel worthless
and helpless because they are usually abused by people who are close to them. Arguably, that
means they do not know how to remedy the situation because the abusers are usually the
individuals who were actually supposed to be taking care of them in the first place (O'Donohue
& Geer, 2013) .
Indeed, sexual harassment tends to be highly prevalent in communities that uphold
cultural practices that are highly conservative (Selin, 2014) . Turkey is a country that comprises
of communities that believe in Islam. As a result, women are commonly treated as second-rate
citizens for a majority of the Muslims support patriarchy. In effect, women are expected to be
married when they are virgins. In effect, the girls who are sexually abused usually feel worthless
because marriage is one of the most respected rites of passage in the community. However,
victims of sexual abuse are less likely to be married because they are not virgins. Due to that
aspect, it is essential for such victims to go for counseling in order to be equipped with skills that
will facilitate them to cope with the trauma. Most importantly, the process of counseling should
enable them to learn how to happily live if they end up not being married because of sexual
abuse. The implementation of this particular strategy will minimize the general rate of suicide
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amongst victims of sexual abuse in Turkey. It is highly likely that Ece role was designed in a
manner that explicitly shows society that victims of sexual abuse usually take away their lives if
they do not receive the appropriate psychological attention in good time (Winocour & Ergüven,
2019) .
Patriarchy in Western Asia
Turkey is a community that is based on patriarchy, a factor that makes the majority of the
women in the country to be treated as second—rate human beings. Indeed, the country has been
making strides towards improving the welfare of girls and women in the community by
promoting gender equality (Ozkirimli, 2014) . However, a lot more needs to be done because a
substantive fraction of women and girls hardly access the same opportunities as their male
counterparts. Due to that particular situation, the Turkish community is characterized by a
comparatively high level of gender imbalance. The analysis of the film reveals that most of the
parents in Turkey are keen on making sure that their girls are married. As a result, parents go to
the extent of denying their girls the opportunity to access high-quality education in order to
prepare them for marriage. For instance, the grandmother of the five sisters denied them the
chance to continue pursuing their education because she realized they were playing with boys.
The grandmother assumed that the girls are likely to lose their virginity if they continue
interacting with boys hence the reason she made such an unfair decision (Winocour & Ergüven,
2019) . In consequence, the five sisters stayed at home, where they were taught how to become
wives. Indeed, marriage is an important aspect of human lives. Nonetheless, parents should
refrain from denying their children the opportunity to continue with the school by marrying them
off early. Notably, some of the girls are usually married off when they are young, which means
that their parents facilitate sexual abuse (Formby, 2017) .
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The nature of opportunities that an individual is afforded influences the quality of life she
or he lives. Unfortunately, girls and women were not afforded the same opportunities as their
male counterparts for many years (Gunel, 2018) . Perhaps, the prevalence of that particular
scenario is primarily attributable to the fact men have been at the center of power in many
communities across the world. Indeed, it was critical for the men to take up the responsibility of
empowering girls and women in order to promote equality and equity in society. However, that
was not the case. Due to that aspect, women have been disadvantaged in society, a factor which
has resulted in a scenario whereby movements such as feminism have emerged with the primary
goal of advocating for affirmative action (Nichols, 2011) . The steady rise in the number of
people who are advocating for rights and freedoms of women has led to the increase in the
population of girls who are accessing high-quality education as well as securing job
opportunities that enable them to join senior management teams. Fortunately, the change in tides
has made some of the most conservative communities to appreciate the essence of empowering
women. Nonetheless, many governments and communities across the world need to do a lot
more in terms of empowering women. It is because empowerment is being carried out at a
comparatively slow rate, especially in countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and other Middle
Eastern countries (Formby, 2017) . For instance, Saudi Arabia ratified a law that allows women
to learn how to drive approximately five years ago. Yes, that is a step towards the right direction,
but governments need to do a lot more in order to improve the wealth of the women who reside
in countries whereby women’s rights were not respected.
Mothers, aunties, and grandmothers should be at the forefront of the fight against
patriarchy because it has adverse implications on the lives of their feminine children (Pine,
Rothbaum, & Ressler, 2015) . However, the film reveals that mothers, aunties, and grandmothers
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choose not to fight against patriarchy because they are keen on preserving conservative cultural
practices. Indeed, culture is an integral facet of the identity of individuals and communities in
general hence the need to maintain it. Nonetheless, that does not imply society should continue
upholding retrogressive cultural practices because they undermine the overall well-being of some
of the members (Cetrez, Avcı, & Kotaman, 2014) . In effect, it was important for the grandmother
of the five sisters to protect them from sexual abuse, but she chose not to do so because the
perpetrator was his son (Winocour & Ergüven, 2019) . Arguably, it will be extremely challenging
for the Turkish society to respect the rights and freedoms of women in a manner that promotes
gender balance if all women do not advocate for them. Due to that aspect, all women need to join
the fight because gender balance is more critical than the patriarchy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Mustang is a film that demonstrates the impact of conservative cultural
practices on the welfare of women. In particular, the film enables the audience to appreciate that
women have been treated as second-rate human beings for years. As a result, the lives of millions
of women throughout the world have been adversely affected by retrogressive systems such as
patriarchy. To that effect, it is essential for societies to embrace affirmative action programs that
gear towards improving the welfare of women not only in Turkey but across the globe. Notably,
affirmative action programs should strive to ensure that girls in Turkey can access top-notch
education at all times. By so doing, the girls will evolve into empowered women who can
develop their talents and utilize them in a manner that has positive implications for society.
Similarly, parents and all members of society should protect women against sexual abuse and
harassment. Arguably, it is because such acts are inhumane, and they undermine the mental
health of women. In effect, it is advisable for women to devise programs that aim at sensitizing
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the general public about matters pertaining to sexual abuse and harassment. The implementation
of that particular strategy will improve the prevailing levels of awareness on the issue. In
consequence, it is likely that men will have a better understanding of what constitutes sexual
abuse and harassment. Thus, they are likely to refrain from exhibiting behavior that is considered
as a form of sexual abuse or harassment. Correspondingly, the film helps the audience to
appreciate that art can be used for addressing some of the challenges faced by society.
Accordingly, the film effectively demonstrates the adverse implications of sexual abuse,
patriarchy, and conservative cultural practices. The film address the challenge in a mode that
persuades women to continue fighting against the patriarchy and sexual abuse because it is the
most suitable way of transforming society. Indeed, they should expect a certain level of
resistance. However, consistency and resilience will enable them to realize the objective, as
illustrated by Sonay.
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References
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in Children and Social Minorities. Berlin: Springer International Publishing.
Deblinger, E., Mannarino, A. P., Cohen, J. A., Runyon, M. K., & Heflin, A. H. (2015). Child
Sexual Abuse: A Primer for Treating Children, Adolescents, and Their Nonoffending
Parents. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Formby, E. (2017). Exploring LGBT Spaces and Communities: Contrasting Identities,
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Selin, H. (2014). Parenting Across Cultures: Childrearing, Motherhood and Fatherhood in Non-
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