Single mothers have it hard in America, but the situation is worse in Morocco where 6,500 illegitimate children annually face abandonment. BBC journalist Deborah Perkin focuses her attentions on quiet, open-faced Rabha El Haimer, a farmer's daughter who married her cousin, Abdel, when she was 14. The wedding, it turns out, was ceremonial rather than legal. Furthermore, her uncle Mohammed neglected to inform Rabha that his son couldn't talk because of a facial injury. But Rabha didn't understand sign language, and Abdel beat her to keep her in line. Two years later, when she became pregnant, his family kicked her out, and she had a daughter, Salma. In the eight years since, Morocco has outlawed child marriage, which gives Rabha options for trying to prove her daughter's legitimacy, so she meets with social worker Soumia Idman and attorney Lamia Farida. Seeking trial, Rabha hopes to compel Abdel—who has since remarried—to register Salma's paternity. Perkin spends ample time with Idman and Farida, who work hard to instill confidence in their female clients, as well as a sense of responsibility in their neglectful partners. In this case, it's a bumpy road, which includes attempts to track down Abdel, and an unpleasant reunion between Rabha and the verbally abusive Mohammed. Fortunately, Farida finds witnesses to testify on Rabha's behalf. Perkin contrasts Rabha's story with that of an outspoken middle-aged woman trying to obtain child support from her married lover. By film's end, one woman will have more success than the other, but Morocco still has quite a way to go before any woman will enjoy the same rights as men. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
Bastards: Outcast in Morocco
(2014) 83 min. DVD: $398. Icarus Films. PPR. Volume 30, Issue 2
Bastards: Outcast in Morocco
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