THE DAUGHTERS OF ABRAHAM
(The Toronto International Film Festival (or TIFF) ran September 10-20 and HtN had boots on the ground covering all the best indie films they have to offer. Check out Chris Reeds’s The Daughters of Abraham movie review from the fest! Seen it? Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.)
French director Hanaël El Yousfi makes a powerful feature debut with The Daughters of Abraham, in which she places a Jewish-Muslim friendship at the heart of a story about confronting the patriarchy. With clever wit and a sharp, penetrating gaze, she tackles challenging content without missing a beat. Above all, she celebrates the power and resilience of women.
Besties Myriam (Mélissa Guers, The Little Sister) and Eva (Ava Baya, Like an Actress), who reconnect at the start after a period of estrangement, have no issues hanging out together, no matter the tensions sometimes sparked by their respective religions and cultures. What unites them is much stronger than what divides, given that both their families hail from North Africa, Myriam’s from Morocco (and Muslim) and Eva’s from Tunisia (and Jewish). The narrative will test those bonds, though it mostly brings them closer.
The film starts in Marrakech, where Myriam and a cousin are enjoying a night on the town, drinking and flirting with handsome strangers. Soon, Myriam does more than flirt, engaging in a sexual encounter that will lead to some severe consequences later, courtesy of a surreptitious iPhone. Women should be able to have fun just like men, but this rarely turns out to be the case.
Back in Marseilles, in France, it’s time for Myriam’s older brother Mohammed’s wedding. Since his best man is Eva’s brother, this brings the two women back in contact. The source of their alienation was how Eva had helped separate Myriam from another brother, since her family disapproved of the liaison. But even if that hurt is not forgotten, Myriam appears happy to have her friend back.
For a while, we follow them through their rapprochement, Myriam spending time with Eva and her sister, Shana (Gabrielle Cohen), having conversations about Islam, Judaism, and men. But then a certain video surfaces, throwing Myriam’s life into intense turmoil. Through some unfortunate coincidence (not my favorite part of the script, since it feels too easy), Eva’s family is involved, as well.
What follows can be difficult to watch, at times, given the violence on display; victims of abuse should steel themselves. But none of it feels gratuitous (other than the aforementioned coincidence) and ultimately leads to a touching conclusion. The Daughters of Abraham is about survival, but even more it is about freedom, ending with a beautiful dance scene where bodies flow in unfettered motion. Let the rhythm move you to a better self.
– Christopher Llewellyn Reed (@ChrisReedFilm)
