Abdo
Germany 2015 | 74 Min. | OmeU
Tajikistan is one of the most remittance-dependent countries in the world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers leave Tajikistan in search of employment. The money sent back provides a huge boost to the economy. The vast majority of these migrants are male, which means the Tajik population is becoming increasingly female. So what happens to the women who are left behind? BEHIND THE WHEEL explores the moral and emotional turmoil of Nigora, an Uzbek woman whose traditional life of being a housewife is turned upside down after her migrant husband fails to send back enough money and she finds out he has been having an affair. No longer able to rely on him, Nigora defies prevailing gender norms and sets to work fixing car tires. (global voices)