The documentary investigates the phenomenon of Qaddafi's elite female bodyguard corps and the tensions these women embody: tensions between Islam, modernisation in a nomadic society, a militarist feminism and an urban dictatorship.
Ms. Ajami's ambitious documentary takes a fascinating look inside one of the Mid-East's most unusual military units, Libya's elite female military corps assigned to guard the country's supreme leader, Mohmmar Qaddafi. The film examines how these women embody the tension between Islam and modernization in a nomadic society, between feminism and an old-style dictatorship.—Anonymous
The female guards in Libya are unique as modern Islamic women that challenge Western stereotypes of the repressed Arab female. Using original and archival footage, and being the first to be allowed access to sites and persons in Libya, this two-year effort goes beyond existing representations of the Muslim woman by elucidating and criticizing a complicated ideal of a modern day Amazon warrior.—Rania Ajami