ABSTRACT
The face mask became a global symbol of protection since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The continuities between the face mask and face veil, however, did not go unnoticed by scholars. Widely interpreted as a woman’s submission to ultra-conservatism and segregation, the face veil has gained new meaning in a world where every individual must wear a face covering. In Indonesia, the right to wear the face veil takes place in a struggle over religious authenticity, orthodoxy, and personal piety. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a change of meanings and perceptions toward facial coverings in the country. Drawing on the work of Emmanuel Levinas, this chapter revisits the face veil during our post-pandemic times by considering the meaning of the face and “face work” and argues that Indonesia’s Islamic filmmaking and visual culture hold the potential for a humane visual ethics for its reflection on the face veil.
