I came across this film while looking up what “Sister Wives” mean (while on my ADHD rabbit hole of research). And coincidently, Gaysi Family was hosting a short film screening in collaboration with Yellowstone International Film Festival. “Sister Wives” was one of the four films that were being screened. I was convinced that it was the universe urging me to watch this phenomenal romance between two queer women–Kaidence (Louisa Connolly-Burnham) and Galilee (Mia McKenna-Bruce).
It becomes an acting powerhouse when you add Micheal Fox–who plays Jeremiah–into the mix. With his clueless looks, that convinces you that Jeremiah wants no part in the polygamous norms of his society–but has to conform to them in order to succeed and be respected as a man. He’s not vicious, he’s a product of his society.
God of Multi-Tasking, Louisa
By being a one-woman army–director, writer and actor of the film–Louisa Connolly-Burnham shows us a story of two women finding love and their own identity in under 30 minutes. In simple words, it’s a heartwarming watch. Leaving us, the audience, with a bubbly-giddy feeling. Their wholesome bond latches on to you as the film progresses. You see Kaidence warming up to Galilee and watch them go from strangers to friends to two people who have taken back their freedom to be able to love.
When I asked Louisa how she came up with the plot of the film, she replied,
“I’ve always wanted to make a queer film and I’ve always wanted to make a period drama, so this project felt like the perfect chance to merge those two dreams of mine. I’ve also had a long-standing, morbid fascination with cults and religious fundamentalism–I think it’s a girl thing. So, one day while I was researching the darker side of Mormonism, I thought this could be a fresh, interesting, multi-layered world to set a film in.”
What were the odds that Louisa found inspiration for her film the same way I discovered her film?
Does Modernity ≠ Progress?
Adhering to the creator’s wishes and research, the film begins with a seemingly 18th-19th century farm that sits near a lake. Where Jeremiah (Fox) is telling his wife, Kaidence (Connolly-Burnham) that he is going to bring home a second wife. Kaidence protests but is quickly shut down by Jeremiah declaring that he’s the man of the house, which gives him the final say and that she is still not pregnant.
Yuck behaviour on part of Jeremiah, but looking back at it with some explanations from Louisa –I have realised that Jeremiah is also a victim of the same system that oppresses Kaidence and Galilee. It doesn’t help knowing that the society will see Jeremiah a victim of his wives’ actions and not the system itself.
There’s a twist though, which I won’t spoil for you. But that twist had me wondering if this was Louisa’s way of tackling the popular “trad-wife” trend and the problems with it. It’s a phenomenon on the internet that has picked up a lot of attention in the past year. However, Louisa revealed that she got the idea a couple of years before it was a solidified trend. It was actually her fascination with cults and Mormon societies that served as the inspiration for the project.
A/N- * The way I understand trad-wife is through the lens of western internet trends. I live in India, in a metropolitan city. Which allows me to have access to a lot of western internet trends and know that being a trad wife is not a trend but a common reality as well. It’s not a choice many Indian women get to make, it’s not a hot debate, it’s simply the norm. So when I say trad-wife, I only mean it as a Nara Smith adjacent internet trend.
Breath Of Fresh Air
Sister Wives feels like a breath of fresh air, there’s no lens looking down upon the various victims of the society. While they may not be equals in their world, they were treated equally in front of Louisa’s camera. And each minute of the 30 minutes was utilised carefully, adding humour, nuances and happiness in the mix, taking you on a fun rollercoaster ride.
You feel nothing but joy as Kaidance and Galilee get their chances to find themselves and their freedom. Whether it’s through reading forbidden books or by wearing forbidden coloured dresses. They take it and savour it. They eventually also find their happy beginning as the film is just the beginning of their lives together!
