Louisa Connolly Burnham’s 2024 short Sister Wives opens with a long close up panning shot of lead Kaidence’s tightly plaited hair. The camera slowly follows her hair down her back, until it meets a neatly tied apron bow at the base of her spine. The final scene of the film is Kaidence’s hair. This time flowing freely in the dawn breeze, trailing behind her.
Kaidence’s hair is just one aspect of her character that undergoes a powerfully symbolic transformation throughout the film. Directed, written by, and starring true triple-threat Connolly-Burnham, Sister Wives is the one of the latest on-screen depictions of Christian extremism. Having long captivated both drama and documentary audiences through the likes of Hulu’s adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale, or TLC’s long running 19 Kids and Counting, Connolly Burnham’s 28-minute short takes an established media interest of fundamentalist religious communities and offers a unique take on the subject matter.
As mentioned, clothing is an important element in Connolly-Burnham’s characterisation within Sister Wives. And acts as a physical marker of character development throughout the film. The clothing used in the film is influenced by the importance and restriction of clothing that is to be adhered to by women in the real-life counterparts of these communities. With the act of control affecting all aspects of their daily life.
Kaidence’s costuming introduces her as the ‘ideal’ for a woman. Her apron denotes her belonging to a domestic space. Her hair and clothing are neat, rigid and restrictive. When her sister wife, Galilee (portrayed by the fantastic Mia McKenna-Bruce), arrives fresh from her wedding to Kaidence’s husband. Her long flowing red hair is curling up around her face, portrays her as a foil to Kaidence’s rigidity.
Their husband, Jeremiah (Michael Fox), is called away on a religious mission. Allowing the two women to slowly grow accustomed to sharing their space and lives without their shared husband. The film has a sense of female allyship and the female experience at its core. As the audience witnesses the women growing closer to each other, and further away from their fundamentalist values and community.
The women are able to converse freely without their husband’s input or judgement. And it is possible that this is the first time in their adult lives they are able to socialise freely and privately with another woman. The two women are at first bound by their compulsory sisterhood. Forced upon them by the male centred traditions and expectations of their community. But by the film’s close their bond surpasses and subverts the original intention and implantation of their presence in each other’s lives.
Galilee’s rebellion against the community is introduced to the audience, and Kaidence. Such as her having a secret mobile phone to stay in touch with her sister who ran away and deserted the community. Galilee’s support of someone who disobeyed their way of life is an early indication to the audience of the later subversion of community by the women.
And so, Galilee’s rebellions continue when Kaidence discovers a red dress in her wardrobe. A colour Kaidence loves and wore all the time “before we weren’t allowed”. This demonstrates, again, the extent to which the women are controlled by their community rules. With red being a colour that religious fundamentalists often believe represents the devil, and deviance (particularly of a sexual manner). Galilee helps Kaidence undress out of the red dress. And the close up of her hand unzipping the dress allows audiences to assume what will happen next.
There’s a scene, softly lit only by candlelit and the moon shining in through the bedroom window. The tender nature of this intimate scene contrasts with earlier scenes between Jeremiah and his wives. With Connolly-Burnham aptly demonstrating the deep sensual connection between the women. The gentle light symbolising the tender nature of Galilee and Kaidence’s connection.
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