POUR VIVRE HEREUX/ FOR A HAPPY LIFE

Belgium, 2018, 88 minutes, Colour.
Sofia Lesaffre, Christopher Zeerak, Atiya Rashid.
Directed by Salima Glamine, Dimitri Linder.

On the one hand, this is a film about Asian migrants, especially from Pakistan, to Europe and settling in countries like Belgium. On the other hand, it has a universal theme about arranged marriages, the role of parents, the role of young people and their choices for whom they should marry.

The theme is familiar, especially in the context of marriage planning, marriages within families, some of the traditions from such countries as Pakistan. The film also offers portraits of those who have migrated and are settling into some of the Western lifestyles, occupations, the younger generation becoming more assimilated, studies, occupations and ambitions.

The central character is Amell, not Pakistani, but in love with a young Pakistani man. The man works for his uncle, his mother’s brother, and there are plans for him to marry into the family, a rather reserved young woman, age 17, bound by family traditions but also branching out in studies. Several men have been offered to her, or rather imposed on her but time passes and she misses out. The young man helps his uncle with IT and has hopes of moving to London for further studies. Amel, in love with him, also hopes to move to London. Her father is a taxi driver with a stern outlook – but begins to break through in teaming up again with someone he knew when young, a European woman, which is a challenge to his daughter.

On the one hand, with the film opening with celebrations at a very Pakistani-style wedding, there is a great deal about these communities in Belgium. On the other hand, the younger generation goes out for lectures, the camaraderie of the young women and their moves towards greater freedom.

There are lot of family tangles, emotional tangles, the younger generation inhibited from speaking frankly to the older generation, some unexpected revelations within these contexts and some devastating effects on many of those concerned.