L’attente des femmes

The début by the Algerian filmmaker Belouad is a bitter indictment of the oppression of women in his homeland, sculpted into a grim feminist tale set in the 1920s.Potter Brahim is one of the richest men in the poverty stricken region of Aurès. Brahim has two wives, but is still childless. As he gets older, he decides to take a third wife. He chooses the beautiful Fadah. Fadah is only sixteen when she is forced to marry the old man. The lively girl is hesitantly assimilated into the hierarchy of the older women. The situation for her is like a prison. The women are not allowed to leave the house, Brahim is the only one who has any contact with the outside world. Despite several fertility rituals, Fadah does not become pregnant. Then Brahim takes on a passing beggar as oddjob man…Belouad reveals himself to be a master at creating theatrical scenes with an atmosphere that is sometimes reminiscent of old horror films. The tragic tale is set largely in the dark interiors where shadows are barely driven from the corners by the flickering candlelight. Surprisingly, in view of its great sensuality, L’attente des femmes was shot in Algeria itself.