LA SOURCE DES FEMMES/THE SOURCE

France, 2011, 135 minutes, Colour.
Lila Bekhti, Saleh Bakri, Hiam Abbass.
Directed by Radu Mihaileanu.

Director Radu Mihaileanu has a Romanian Jewish background and lives in Paris. He has been interested for many years in a variety of cultures and religious backgrounds for his films. He has made a drama about Jews in Central Europe (Train of Life), about the Falashas in Ethiopia and their being considered Jewish and their being taken to Israel (Live and Become). His most recent film was the entertaining story of an orchestra from Russia playing in Paris which was also a tongue in cheek lampoon of Communism.

This time he is in north Africa, in Morocco, in a Muslim village, the dialogue spoken in Arabic.

While there is a very serious underlying theme about the place of women in traditional Muslim society – that they are not mere chattels at their husbands’ disposal – there is also a basic comedy theme, one exploited by Aristophanes millennia ago: to achieve change, women go on strike, withholding sexual relationships with their husbands.

At the centre is Leila, considered an outsider in a very self-contained village, because she came from somewhere else, though she is married to the local teacher. The government has failed to bring water directly into the village. The women have to walk into the hills to a pipe source and carry the water. This would be unthinkable for men to do. When tensions come to a head, Leila and the women go on strike. The men are baffled and angry – and seek the advice of the Imam. The women maintain their stances.

A complication arises when a journalist who had previously wanted to marry Leila arrives to study ants (and analogies are made between the insects’ behaviour and the villagers’). It creates tension in Leila’s own marriage but, eventually, an article is published and, suddenly, the government can’t do enough to help. And the women go into the city to sing and dance their theme and their protest and are welcomed.

The film is rather heavy-handed at times in making its points. But, it does remind us of the power of the modern media in mirroring society as well as being a catalyst for social change.
1. The work of the director? His Romanian/French/Jewish background? Bringing this eye to a Muslim story and themes?

2. The Moroccan settings, the landscapes, the mountains? The village and homes, the meeting places, the school and the mosque? Buses? The city, the markets, contemporary offices? A feel for morocco?

3. The score and its moods?

4. The title, the source of water, the spring, the community, access to the water, the difficulties, the women having to carry the water, their labour, the men and tradition, not intervening, the influence of the Koran?

5. The title and the reference to women, women as the source of life, the birth sequences?

6. Life in the village, the initial scene with the women talking, joyful, carrying the water? Their ages? The personalities in the group? The pregnant woman collapsing? The birth sequence, the role of the older women, sending the boy to tell the father, the homes, the traditions? Fatima and her staunch holding of the traditions?

7. The contrast with Rifle, her story, her appearance, her stances, support of the women, her son and her disillusionment with him, ousting him? Her participation in the demonstrations, urging the protests, her vitality, the processes, the contrast with Fatima? Fatima and her severity, her husband and his age, her son, her resentment of her older son and the difficulties of her giving birth when she was so young? Her hostility to Lila?

8. Lila, a stranger in the village, not being accepted after many years, seemingly infertile, her relationship with her husband, love for him, her carrying the water?

9. The men, drinking, sitting and watching, the severity of their attitudes, their attitudes towards their wives? Going to the imam, his authority, his advice?

10. The issue of the water, the women’s protest, going on strike, Rifle and her influence, Lila and her leadership? The women and their support, the declaration of going on strike, warning off their husbands? The emphasis of the screenplay on women’s business, their talk, reactions?

11. Sami, held by the traditions, yet educated, his friend (and the later clash about the success and his friend feeling that he was put down, not being able to be a writer, being sent out of school by his parents)? His work at the school, being fired, going to town, the discussions with the officials? The severity of his older brother and his wife?

12. The effect of the strike, the alienation of the husbands? The tension, the hostilities in the town, time passing?

13. The visit of the journalist, his studying insects, the scenes of him writing, using the analogy of insects’ life with the people in the village? The true reason for his visit? His attachment to Lila, the past, loving her, marrying someone else? Sami and the request for an article about the situation? His finally agreeing to this?

14. Sami, upset with Lila, her attitude, the petty differences, the declarations, the reconciliation?

15. The authorities from the city, the issue of water, the examination of the village, the previous delays? Hurrying through the reforms because they had been publicised in the papers?

16. The feast in the town, the plan, the children and their participation, the boy with the messages? The women in disguise? The children in disguise? Their being stopped? The women able to go into the town, their dance, the singing – and public support?

17. Lila and her sister-in-law, writing the love letters for her, the man and his ignorance of the love, the anger, the girl leaving, the final letter to Lila, thanking her, going away from the village to a new life?

18. Themes of change in Muslim society? Respect for the Koran and reinterpretation of the text? Possibilities? The role of women in traditional Muslim society? The opportunity through this film to see different interpretations, clashes and protests? The importance of the role of the media – in Muslims, especially Muslim women, from different countries seeing this story and it influencing their future attitudes?