The Wedding Song

Essentially a coming-of-age story about two close friends, this film from writer-director Karin Albou distinguishes itself by being set in an exotic locale at a dangerous time—Tunisia, circa 1942, during the German occupation of North Africa—as well as by the fact that the central female characters have different religious beliefs: Myriam (Lizzie Brocheré) is Jewish and Nour (Olympe Borval) is Muslim. While the wartime setting provides a naturally suspenseful backdrop (with air raids and Nazi roundups of Jews a constant threat), the focus here is on the young womens' dreams, particularly their marital hopes. Nour's planned nuptials with her handsome cousin Khaled (Najib Oudghiri) are stalled due to his inability to find work, while the need for Myriam's mother to pay a large sum demanded by the Nazis of Jewish residents compels her to arrange a marriage for her daughter with a wealthy but much older man. The Wedding Song offers a sensitive exploration of friendship tested under the stress of cultural differences and historical events, along with the pressures that young girls have always faced because of societal expectations. Containing some strong depictions of adolescent sexuality and explicit nudity (including a sequence in a women's bathhouse that's invaded by fascist sympathizers), The Wedding Song is never sensationalistic. On the contrary, this is a thoughtful, moving film that deserves a wider audience. Recommended. (F. Swietek)