Stefania represents sub concepts of body language, gender, and roles under the broader concept of performance. This video was released by a Ukrainian group of singerswho filmed the devastated cities of Ukraine during the Russian invasion and performed a famous song that became a symbol of war and destruction brought by Russia. In this video, Ukrainian military women who are also mothers save children from destroyed homes and bring them back to their parents in shelters. In contrast to lyrics of the song “her hair is getting grey”, women are portrayed as strong and brave in the battlefield; this is clear when a woman steps on to the house that was bombed and completely ruined saving a child from one of the floors. It relates to the sub concept of roles and gender – the role of military women is portrayed as one of strength and heroism while their gender represents kindness (hugging a kid and reuniting families) and bravery (defending her country amidst war and destruction). The video also appeals to body language – holding a kid’s hand and hugging her; this, in turn, conveys the idea of empathy and therefore, displays military women’s performance as empathetic. This text answers the question of “What is identity?” through performance with emphasis on roles, gender, and body language. It’s clear that the identity of military women in this video is developed highlighting the bravery of their role, strength of their gender and their affectionate body language.
References
“Kalush Orchestra – Stefania (Official Video Eurovision 2022)”. Kalush Orchestra. YouTube. May 15th, 2022. Kalush Orchestra – Stefania (Official Video Eurovision 2022) – YouTube