Le Chant des mariées

Synopsis

Myriam (Lizzie Brocheré) and Nour (Olympe Borval) are two young Tunisian girls who live in the same poor tenement building. Jewish Myriam is allowed to go to school and was given certain privileges while Nour, a native Tunisian is banned from being educated. At sixteen Nour becomes engaged to one of her cousins, Khaled, though the marriage is delayed until Khaled can find work.

Meanwhile, in November 1942, the German army invades Tunisia. They begin spreading propaganda to the native Tunisian population telling them they will help to liberate their country from the French and blaming World War II on the Jewish population. After Americans bomb Tunisia the Germans also levy a heavy tax on members of the Jewish community.

Unable to pay the tax Myriam's mother Tita introduces her to a much older wealthy Jewish man, Raoul (Simon Abkarian) who works as a doctor. Myriam is horrified at the prospect of marrying him and lies to her mother and Raoul, claiming she is no longer a virgin. When Raoul questions her he realizes that Myriam does not understand what intercourse is, and decides to go on with engagement preparations.

Nour learns that Khaled has gotten a job working for the Germans and they are to be married soon. Shortly after, the German army, with Khaled acting as translator, search Myriam's home for money and jewels, assaulting her mother in the process. When Myriam tries to bring this up with Nour, Nour dismisses her.

The Germans order all poor Jews to be rounded up and forced into labour camps. Myriam calls Raoul a coward for not going and on her advice decides to volunteer for the camps. He and Myriam are married beforehand however Myriam is too upset to consummate the marriage.

Myriam cannot enjoy the protection of Raoul's money however as Germans invade a Turkish bath and round up the women who have no veils to cover themselves up. Nour who is at the bath pretends that Myriam is her sister and another woman hands her a veil. When Khaled learns of this he grows angry, telling Nour that the Jews helped the French to oppress the native Tunisian population and that the Koran forbids Jews and Muslims from being friends. Nour repeats some of this back to Myriam causing a rift between the two girls.

After an air strike comes too close to Raoul's compound Myriam moves her mother, mother-in-law and herself back to the poor tenement building she comes from, but is still shunned by Nour. Nour decides to attempt to read the Koran to see what it says about Jews but cannot as she is illiterate. Her grandfather, seeing that she is trying to read, shows her a passage that says that people of all faith will enter heaven.

Nour marries Khaled and tells him that he is mistaken about his beliefs about Jews. Khaled forbids her from seeing Myriam but Nour tells him the decision ultimately rests with her.

During a night air raid Nour runs to an underground shelter. There she sees Myriam and the two girls run to each other and reunite. Together they begin praying.

Development

Albou based the film on letters she had read from her Algerian grandmother that were written to her grandfather during World War II. She also stated that the character of Tita was the one most closely based on her grandmother.

Albou could not find a native Tunisian girl who was willing to appear on screen nude. She eventually broadened her search to include non Arabic speaking women and non-Arabs, finally settling on first time French actress Olympe Borval who learned Arabic for the role.

Awards