A Little For My Heart And a Little For My God: a Muslim Women's Orchestra

As men and women don't ordinarily mix socially in Algeria, separate gatherings require separate services: like male and female orchestras. Filmmaker Brita Landoff looks at one female orchestra in Oran. The meddahats (or female musicians), who rank low on the social totem pole and are often divorced or widowed, traditionally play at weddings, engagements, and circumcisions--singing earthy songs and dancing with the celebrants. The film spends a disproportionate amount of time on a gay couple--Sid Ahmed and Ahmin--who contribute violin and vocals; they're an unusual feature of a "women's" orchestra, yet their commentary is mainly composed of uninteresting whining and complaining. Too, while intermittently interesting, the film lacks focus--switching back and forth from interviewee to performance, there's no story and little drama (until near the end of the film, when pleasantries such as "I don't gossip and I don't kiss ass," are exchanged between arguing orchestra members). There's a lot of joyous dancing to appreciate, but the $395 price tag for the film seems like a pretty stiff cover charge. Not a necessary purchase. (R. Pitman)