Popular reviews

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  Review by Orla Smith ★★★½

  Raindance 2017 #9

  A brave movie for even existing. Afterwards at the Q&A, the director told us many stories of the impossibility of its making: how she couldn't get a single Algerian actor living in Algeria to be in the film, how the film has since been banned in Algeria despite her attempts to tailor the script so that it would be acceptable to the censors... how one night at the play she wrote (on which this film is based) a man threw petrol on her and tried to light her on fire.

  All because this film shows Muslim women as they are: real, funny, warm, resilient... set in 1995 Algeria this is an ensemble drama content with simply depicting…

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  Review by Conchobarre ★★★★ 2

  From first time film director Rayhana Obermeyer, based on her 2009 play, this hasn't come very far from being a play. The acting, dialogue and sets are quite stagey, but for this film it works. It's entirely set in a Turkish-style womens' bath-house in Algiers on a day when there has been some kind of a terrorist attack and no-one seems to know much about what's going on, but all remain there for safety. A 16 year old girl has also showed up in terror from her brother who is trying to kill her. He just returned from France and found out she's pregnant out of wedlock and he needs to clean himself by spilling her blood. The manager, whose…

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  Review by Benel ★★★★ 4

  فيلم "ما زلت أختبئ كي أدخن" فيلم قوي وجريء ومهم للمخرجة الجزائرية ريحانة أوبرمير، ويعتبر عمل مشترك بين دولة الجزائر وفرنسا ويونان، وتدور معظم أحداثه داخل حمام أحد القرى في الجزائر ليجعلنا نعيش بيوم واحد مع نساء القرية اللاتي يأتن لهذا الحمام ليغسلن ليس فقط أجسادهن، ولكن أرواحهن أيضاً، ليحررن أنفسهن ولو قليلاً في هذا المكان، بعيداً عن المجتمع الذكوري الذي يقبع خارج الحمام.

  أنت هنا ستتعايش مع نساء القرية وهم يشاركون أحاديثهم، ما يخافوه وما يتمنوه، وما يحلمون به. ستراهم يتمشون هنا وهناك عراة، يغتسلون ويدخنون، يضحكون مع بعضهم البعض، يشتمون، ويتكلمون حول كل ما يخطر ببالهم: الجنس، السياسة، الدين، الحياة، الطفولة.

  هم سيفعلون كل ما لا يستطيعون فعله في الخارج. هم هنا سيكونون ولو لمدة قصيرة على طبيعتهم…

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  Review by YAZZY ★★½

  I can imagine how much controversy this movie has sparked among Algerians. The entire movie is set in a hammam where the ladies engage in a number of taboo topics. They expose it all, literally. The film's writing and delivery style have a tendency to be quite theatrical. That’s not really my cup of tea.

  It’s interesting to see the differences in how individuals view religion and their ideas about it. The tension got high considering it’s a delicate subject for the women. Overall, the movie's production was mediocre. I merely watched it due to my interest in North African films and to expand my library in that genre but wouldn’t really recommend to anyone.

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  Review by Fares Zidan 3

  اختيار المخرجة "ريحانة أوبرماير" للحمام كبؤرة للأحداث والفيلم كله بتدور أحداثة فيه بدأ من فتحه حتي غلقه شئ عبقري؛ بالرغم من أن الحمام ده -عند تصوير الفيلم- مكانش في الجزائر أصلا وكان مكانه في اليونان وهو حمام نسائي تركي، ولكن هذا الشئ لايعني
  لي الكثير.

  في هذا الحمام بتكون النساء عرايا بالمعني اللفظي والمعنوي: اللفظي أنهم عرايا الجسد لأنهم داخلين يستحموا أصلا أما المعنوي فكل واحدة منهم بتحكي شئ أو أشياء حصلت وبتحصل في حياتهم وعن ، أفكارهم وطموحاتهم بدون الخوف من التنكيل بهم، فالفيلم بيعرض تسع نماذج مختلفة من المرآه العربية منهم المرآه المطلقة و الأرملة والزانية -علي حسب كلامهم مش كلامي- والطبيعية والعانس والمتشددة صاحبة النقاب.

  الفيلم تكلم برضو عن جواز القاصرات واغتصابهن والتشدد والتدين في الجزائر من…

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  Review by fmlotto ★★★★½

  An excellent movie about Algeria’s overruling, corrupt and patriarchal  society and the oppression women must endure during the Black Decade/in society in general. The performances are excellent and the women portrayed are strong, intelligent, witty and incredibly courageous (and even just saying that feels like an understatement, because they are POWERFUL). It’s an incredibly hard film to watch (the ending left me speechless and in tears), but one that I will be recommending to many people. It’s a story that needs to be heard and listened to. 

  Also side note: You can find this movie for free on Amazon Prime! I HIGHLY recommend it

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  Review by erevis ★★★★

  İstikrarlı bir yapıda değil, ikinci yarısında değişen ve güldürüye evrilen formu da hiç fayda sağlamıyor ama ben islama bu kadar direkt (hatta kaba) ve uzlaşmaz bir biçimde saldıran başka film görmedim. Riyakarlık yok, her nabza şerbet yok, full ifşa var. "Ama onların da iyisi var, hadi uzat bir zeytin dalı" diyeceğini sandığınız yerde tüm köprüleri dinamitliyor film. Aşkla, ıstırapla ve amatör bir adanmışlıkla yapılmış. Ağıdı da umudu da içinde. Işid'in elinden kurtulup çarşafı çıkaran ikonik Ezidi kadın fotosunu hatırlarsınız. O karenin filmi. Bir robot olmadığım için tüm sinemasal kusurlar niyetin ve azmin karşısında hükmünü yitirir benim için bazen, burada da o oldu.

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  Review by 'Elya-vated Horror' 🎃 ★★★★

  There’s only so much we can learn from a singular day at the baths with these Algerian women, all of whom lead different lives under the same patriarchal structure, all deserve better.

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  Review by fatimaldh ½ 1

  I liked the concept. A terrorist attack hits in 1995 Algiers, affecting the city’s water supply. For a water source, and for sisterhood and comfort, several women gather in a hammam and stay overnight given the uncertainty outside its walls. Within the walls there is trust, safety and solidarity while danger, confusion.. men.. loom outside of it. I’m unsurprised to see this was adapted from a play. The film takes place in one location and certainly feels like, is staged like, a play. 

  I appreciate what the filmmaker is trying to do.. partially. Tell the stories of Arab, (some) Muslim women. Share their desires, their hopes, dreams, conflicts, worries, etc. Have them talk about sex, religion, relationships. To show that…

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  Review by ines ★★★

  "mechi rajel, le plombier" LMFAO

  
  anyways i think what algerian women went through during the black decade is something we HAVE to talk about more but most movies about it seem to pander to a western orientalist audience who just likes to see the north african woman suffer. i think algerian women deserve a genuine representation that doesnt alienate muslim women and doesn't depict them like brainless puppets

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  Review by cody

  A culture of parentheticals, drawing its flawed illustrations with words empowered by raw beauty, mixturing anger, desire, pain, and hope with each censored gasp. The location is more than intentional, set to wash away vicious injustice and held tongues, truly biting at the core of difficult circumstances while constantly acknowledging the world outside the refuge's walls with a palpable anxiety that refuses to be scrubbed away. The undeserved cruelty only emphasises the impossible to ignore beauty.

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  Review by Xander Red Ramen ★★★★

  I didn't realise before watching that this was originally a play, which explains why it was so theatrical in it's presentation. The theatrical nature of it, in the case, I think works to it's favour; and makes this movie (that's essentially just people talking for 90 minutes) more engaging. As engaging as the dialogue was, you just can't beat watching Fatima run around yelling at everyone for the entire runtime.