Noces (2016)

Directed by: Stephan Streker | 95 minutes | drama | Actors: Lina El Arabi, Sébastien Houbani, Babak Karimi, Nina Kulkarni, Alice de Lencquesaing, Olivier Gourmet, Aurora Marion, Bilel Ghommidh, Zacharie Chasseriaud, Rania Mellouli, Harmandeep Palminder, Sandor Funtek

‘Noces’ is about Zahira Kazim. She is of Pakistani descent, goes to school in Belgium and is a normal teenager. At least…It seems so, because her life is quite complicated at such a young age. Because what should you do if you secretly just got pregnant with your boyfriend, but your parents are going to marry you off to a Pakistani boy you’ve never met?

Parents Mansoor and Yelda move with the times. Zahira gets to skype with three suitors before she has to make a choice. And according to her mother, having a choice is already a huge privilege. She makes a plea that it can also turn out well: “Look at your younger sister Hina.” Zahira sees this differently and confides in her older brother Amir. She tells him she doesn’t want to get married, but she is completely silent about her pregnancy. Her best friend Aurore knows better and advises her to have an abortion – an idea the young teenage mother struggles with and runs away from home.

Mansoor runs a shop and in the hours after closing asks Amir to put pressure on Zahira. Mansoor’s best friend is Andre, Aurore’s father. He is Belgian and tries to convince Mansoor that arranged marriages are no longer of this time. The stress of losing face and honor killings when his daughter refuses has repercussions on Mansoor’s health, as he struggles with heart problems.

Amir promises to do his best, but actually he does not agree with the traditional views of his parents. He much prefers to see his little sister happy and free. He is also a man of his word, so he will talk to Zahira. Amir warns her that if she doesn’t cooperate in marrying one of the three men, she will lose everything and everyone…or worse.

Director and writer of ‘Noces’ is Stephan Streker (‘Le monde nous appartient’) and he likes to use close-ups that draw us into Zahira’s world of experience. The warm colors and tasty cuisine that Pakistan has to offer are also well reflected in the decoration of the sets. His script offers a glimpse into the lives of immigrants by matching dramatic and unexpected scenarios that twist traditional ways of thinking. In the context of honor killings, immigration, religion and traditions, ‘Noces’ is a modern momentum that shows that love can lead to beautiful, but also unthinkable deeds at once.