Talisman

In a village in central Iraq, Sabreen, (20y.o), lives a life full of psychological and social pressures due to her inability to have children four years after her marriage to Ayad (24y.o), a traditional young man who obeys the orders of his family, especially his strict mother. Sabreen, who lives with her husband’s family, feels isolated and hopeless as she is held responsible for her childlessness, making her vulnerable to constant criticism from her husband and his mother. Sabreen lives in a world that imposes a specific role on her as a wife and mother, but she feels trapped in a vortex of family and societal expectations that she cannot fulfil.

One day, while Sabreen is cleaning dishes in the kitchen, she overhears a conversation between her husband and his mother, where the mother demands that Ayad divorce Sabreen and marry his aunt’s daughter to ensure a child. Sabreen’s suffering increases, and she decides to turn to her neighbour Sanaa, who suggests she visit the village fortune teller, Hajja Rawda, to get a spell that will help her get pregnant. Sanaa, who considers Sabreen close friend, tries to support her during these difficult times, but she also lives in the same society that imposes strict restrictions on women.

Sabreen and Sanaa go to the house of a fortune teller, where Hajja Rawda prepares a talisman for Sabreen, hoping that it will solve her issue. However, Sabreen feels hopeless and frustrated, especially after she realises that the talisman is nothing more than a folded piece of paper with no real solution to her issue. After leaving the fortune teller’s house, Sabreen feels lost and decides to go to an orchard near the river to reflect on her life and destiny. In this peaceful orchard, Sabreen finds temporary relief as she escapes from the daily pressures and meditates on her life.

In a orchard far from her husband’s family home, Sabreen sits under the shade of the trees, thinking deeply about her predicament that seems to be beyond her control. Feeling the urge to break free from all the pressures she is experiencing, she takes off her cloak and contemplates the sky and trees, trying to find inner peace. She decides to go to the river, where she enters the water and opens the spell sheet, as if resigning herself to her fate.