Lizzie Brocheré and Olympe Borval star in Karin Albou's The Wedding Song. Give peace a chance
By Don Simpson
From November 1942 to May 1943 German forces occupied Tunis, which was the Axis powers’ final stronghold in Africa before retreating to Italy. Previously occupied by the French, Tunis was a relatively welcome home for Jews. The German occupation changed that.
Writer-director Karin Albou's The Wedding Song (Le chant des mariées) begins in 1942, prior to the German occupation. Sephardic Jewish teenager, Myriam (Lizzie Brocheré), and her childhood Muslim friend, Nour (Olympe Borval), live next door to each other. The intense and inseparable bond between them is partially akin to sisters and that of lovers – as they appear to always exist on the verge of kissing each other. The teens' closeness lends a strong erotic subtext, as the The Wedding Song reveals their restricted role in Tunisian society – women are only afforded freedom of expression at a pre-wedding party and inside of a hammam (public bathhouse); both situations are female-only.
The two girls are promptly approaching their respective marriages – Nour to her cousin, Khaled (Najib Oudghiri), Myriam to an older Jewish doctor, Raoul (Simon Abkarian). Nour is forbidden to marry Khaled until he finds employment; Myriam resists her marriage to Raoul.
Enter the Germans. They immediately prey on the Muslim population’s inherent nationalism in an attempt to oust the Jews from Tunis. The spread of anti-Jewish propaganda pits Muslims and their Jewish neighbors against each other. The Germans demand that all Jews in Tunis pay an outrageously high fine – which Myriam's mother (Albou) can't afford. The fine lends a new sense of urgency to Myriam’s impending wedding with Raoul (he is rich and can provide protection to Myriam’s family).
Khaled finds work, unfortunately it is for the Germans. If all of the unease caused by the German occupation did not already cause enough tension between Myriam and Nour, Khaled’s new job definitely does. Khaled convinces Nour that the inequalities in Tunis were brought about by the Jews: Jews are rich, while Muslims are poor; Jews attend school, while Muslims do not; Jews are friends with the French, while Muslims want to be freed from French occupation.
Entrancing, stimulating and motivational, French director Albou’s The Wedding Song continues a discussion of themes from her 2005 film, La Petite Jérusalem: female sexuality in repressive cultures and relationships between Muslims and Jews. Albou professes that peace is possible between Muslims and Jews, just as Myriam and Nour's friendship is saved purely by mentally conquering their cultural differences and the politics of racism.
