The hardships that Chadian women undergo make you shudder. Lingui, the sacred bonds by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, presented in competition at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, demonstrates that sorority is not in vain in Africa. It may even be the only way to survive in a patriarchal society.
A brilliant high school student sees her future shattered when she becomes pregnant in this country where abortion is punishable by law. On a theme close to The event, the director of Grigris and A screaming man follows the young woman as she searches for a solution with the help of her mother. If Audrey Diwan’s film was set in the 1960s, it is nowadays that the heroine of Lingui lives his ordeal, which makes the film particularly poignant. “In Chad, many women organize themselves to help each other”, explained the director during the press conference of the film.
Cunning stronger than violence
Abortion is at the center of the film, but other issues are also brought up bluntly. Rape and excision are important themes addressed in this serious work which manages to remain optimistic despite the adversity suffered by its heroines. “It was difficult for a long time to film women because they feared for their image,” says Mahamat-Saleh Haroun. For this film, I had the chance to see women open up and talk about these issues. “
Lingui gives a voice to those who use cunning and solidarity rather than violence to get out of business. The intelligence of a story that takes on the appearance of a thriller surprises just as much as the generosity of the subject.