LINGUI

On the outskirts of N’Djamena, Amina (Achouackh Abakar Souleymane) weaves stoves from old tyre wire and sells them on the street. She is raising her daughter alone, is seen in the neighbourhood as a flawed woman, and keeps herself afloat through work and prayer. Then she learns that fifteen-year-old Maria (Rihane Khalil Alio) is pregnant – and that her daughter does not want the child. In Chad, abortion is illegal and condemned by faith; the doctors demand sums Amina does not have. “Lingui” by Mahamat Saleh Haroun, Chad 2021, follows mother and daughter through a network of women who help one another where no one else will.

The title refers to the “sacred bonds” that hold a community together; Haroun finds them not in institutions but in solidarity among women. It is the director’s first film with female leads, told in clear, richly coloured images and in 87 minutes without detour. It premiered in competition at Cannes in 2021. “Lingui” was shown at Around the World in 14 Films in Berlin in 2021.

Shown at the 2021 edition of Around the World in 14 Films.

All films 2021 · Film Archive