NOCES/ A WEDDING
Belgium/Pakistan, 2016, 98 minutes, Colour.
Lina El Arabi, Sebastien Houbani, Babak Karimi, Nina Julkarni, Aurore Marion, Zacharie Chausseriaud, Olivier Gourmet, Sandor Fantuk
Directed by Stephan Streker.
Noces has a grim message, a film about arranged marriages in a Belgian setting with a Pakistani family.
The focus is on an 18-year-old girl who is expected to marry soon. However, in a relationship with a local young man, she is pregnant, considers abortion, and her parents and brother as well as the young man agree. She goes for explanations of abortion, is shocked at some of the things she hears, especially about the burning of the fetus as medical waste, changes her mind, considers that the child has a soul, but finally goes through the procedure.
In the meantime, her parents are insistent that she marry someone in Pakistan, using Skype for interviews, one-man declaring his love for the girl and her being persuaded to voice her consent. However, she does not want to marry him, does not love him. She has a local friend who is a confidante, meets a local young man to whom she is attracted, is pressurised by her father’s health and heart condition. She finally consents, there is all kind of preparation for the wedding in Pakistan and her mother and sister to fly out.
The drama ends tragically, her brother seeming to embrace her and her decision not to marry, but he has been brainwashed by the traditions and he stabs her to death.
1. The title? Audience expectations? Weddings in Belgium? The contrast with the Pakistani traditions? Arranged marriages and weddings?
2. The Belgian setting, the city, homes and shops, universities and study, workplaces? The Pakistani community in the Belgian city?
3. The Pakistani background, the parents and the arranged marriage, expectations of the traditions, for their daughters? The compliance of the son? The contacts in Pakistan? Family expectations, failure and exclusion, violent consequences?
4. Zahira’s story? Age, studies, relationship with her father, mother, brother and sister, the importance of love in the family? The relationship, her pregnancy, talking with the father of the child, his going along with the abortion? The family accepting the abortion, her brother company her to the clinic? The discussions about pregnancy, abortion, the fetus, the decision to have the abortion, going to the clinic, further discussions, the change of heart? Wanting to bring up the baby? Her saying the baby had a soul? The clinical discussion about the aborted fetus and its being medical waste and being burnt?
5. Zahira, her friend, confidant, at school? The friend’s father and his links with the family, friendship with Zahira’s father? His coming to plead? Being told off?
6. Zahira, not wanting to marry, going out to the club, the friendship with Frank, flirting, his interest in her, the going out, his going to Australia?
7. The plans for the wedding, Skyping the three suitors in Pakistan? Zahira’s impassive reaction? Two not speaking French? The third speaking French, saying he was in love?
8. Zahira and her reaction at home, her father and his heart, desperation? The mother and the arrangements? The other sister coming home, her arranged marriage, her urging Zahira to go along with it?
9. The consent, yet her running away, returning, the arrangements for the wedding in Pakistan, her being surprised? Her mother and sister going to prepare? The Pakistani family on Skype and their celebrations?
10. Zahira, talking with Frank, her decision to go away?
11. The discussion with her brother, the farewell, his killing her, the blood dripping away?
12. The film and its condemnation of arranged marriages and their consequences?
