Boutelfil is a village in Chad at the edge of the desert where drought is causing the ground to fracture. A group of male authority figures and religious leaders gather together in the village hall. They talk about what a disastrous year it has been, with too little rain, failed crops, and livestock going without food. They decide that this calamity was caused by debauched single women. Someone proposes reintroducing Amchilini.
Amchilini is an Islamic custom requiring unmarried women to publicly choose a husband from a selection of candidates. The dowry is modest, but refusal is punishable by a fine. This archaic tradition has been in disuse for 30 years, but no one in the hall objects to reintroducing it.
When Allamine Kader Kora goes deeper into the village with his camera, however, and speaks to young women in the privacy of their homes, we discover their concerns about gender equality and autonomy. One young mother explains that marriage and motherhood stand in the way of her personal development. Others scornfully dismiss Amchilini, which is presented to them as a privilege, as just another misogynist fantasy.
Stills
