These Girls

Tahani Rached's remarkable documentary takes a decidedly different view of women in the Islamic world, focusing on teen and pre-teen girls living on the streets of Cairo. Forced to flee abusive parents, these runaway girls are subject to exploitation, prostitution, and gang rape, yet many discover an unusual bond of sisterhood, and at least one (a livewire named Tata) dares to ride a horse down a Cairo street while wearing a vibrant red shirt (a sight that literally has to be seen to be believed). Sadly, most of the girls lack Tata's courage: some have fallen prey to drug addiction, while others quietly bear bruises and scars from hostile strangers. One of the teens has given birth to a baby, who is also cared for by the other street girls (the young mother's father has threatened to murder his daughter). Rached's unusual access to the girls' world pays off brilliantly in this intimate and often heartbreaking exposé of a side of Egyptian society unseen in the west. These Girls maintains an objective viewpoint, never presenting its subjects as objects of pity, yet viewers cannot help but ache inside at the thought of the uncertain futures most of them will face. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)