Minneapolis St. Paul Film Festival: Reviewing the showcase of independent films

The Judge

Directed by: Erika Cohn

Summary: This documentary tells the story of Kholoud Al-Faqih, a Palestinian woman who defies cultural norms first by becoming a lawyer, then by joining Palestine’s Chief Justice bench – becoming the first woman to receive such an appointment in any of the Middle East’s Shari’a courts (which rule by Islamic law). The film tracks Judge Kholoud’s journey and the ripple effect it had on the courts and society – and includes different opinions on Kholoud’s efforts.

My Take: What an incredible inspiring subject. I'm not sure any person in that theatre would have ever learned about this woman if not for the film and that's a thing of beauty in itself. The documentary does a great job of taking a thorough look at Kholoud’s professional journey and her struggles to overcome prejudice to become a judge. It isn't always chronological but it manages to make sense when it jumps around in time. It incorporates different opinions on the matter of a female judge – which is what all good journalism should do. The lead opposition figure is sometimes portrayed a little cheekily, enough to elicit laughs from the audience, but in any case, at least he gets the opportunity to have his voice heard.

One critique is the over-indulgence of pretty scenery and dramatic music. The random pans of the Palestinian landscape and insertion of an intense soundtrack make it seem like something bad is going to happen to the judge at any moment. There is indeed a bad event at one point, but most of the time the effects-based build-ups don’t match the scenes that follow, and it gets annoying.

That said, it packs a punch and avoids coming off scripted or inauthentic, so overall, this was a well-executed powerful documentary that’s definitely worth a watch.

Rating: 4

Follow the film at: https://www.thejudgefilm.com/

For more about the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) visit their website here.