Reviews

Sisters In Law

Pleasant doc captures progressivism in a Cameroon court

By PETER KEOUGH | May 3, 2006

3.0 Stars

Genocide, famine, injustice — that’s what we’ve come to expect from documentaries about Africa. Not so with this skilled, moving, and funny look at two woman judges pushing a progressive agenda in a Cameroon courthouse. Those annoyed by red tape and stirred by Judge Judy will appreciate Vera Ngassa and Beatrice Ntuba, who shoot down the patriarchal and other nonsense of those brought before them with common sense and good humor. The cases, presented in an intimate cinéma-vérité, include one little girl beaten by an aunt, another molested by a neighbor, and a battered wife bringing charges against her abusive husband. This last proved the first successful prosecution of a domestic-violence case in Cameroon in 17 years. Nonetheless, I suspect that these crusaders still have a lot of work cut out for them. But after director Kim Longinotto’s bleaker films on women’s rights, The Day I Will Never Forget and Divorce Iranian Style, I can’t begrudge her a little optimism.

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Topics: Reviews , Crime , Domestic Violence , War Crimes , More

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ARTICLES BY PETER KEOUGH

MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA | October 01, 2008
Has Spike Lee lost his way?

HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS & ALIENATE PEOPLE | October 01, 2008
Lesson learned, but no laughs

FLASH OF GENIUS | October 01, 2008
An unexciting, earnest homily

FLOW | September 24, 2008
A somewhat wishy-washy exposé

LAKEVIEW TERRACE | September 23, 2008
Full of entrapping clichés

See all articles by: PETER KEOUGH

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