Ain't no time for women
- Tunisia
- Women
- Humor
- Political divide
01/Synopsis
Ain’t No Time for Women is a political and humorous short film that dives into the heart of the political divide in Tunisia.
Tunis, November 2019. A group of women is gathered at Saïda’s, the hairdresser, on the eve of the presidential election. The salon is transformed into a town square, mirroring the internal turmoil of the country. In this female sanctuary, we get an intimate look at the county’s teenage democracy.
02 /Director intentions
With the film Kif-Kif, I want to enter a strictly female setting and follow the political and feverish adolescence of Tunisia through the eyes of women, the leading figures of this society. Far from being a subject of political analysis, the 2019 presidential elections serve as a backdrop, allowing us to observe Tunisian women in the midst of liberation—overwhelmed by politics and condemned to a constant struggle between modernity and traditionalism.
The goal of Kif-Kif is not to take sides or provide information about the candidates, but rather to show the women who shape Tunisia and to focus on their perspectives regarding the transformation of the country they have always known.
I want to bring to the screen the school of feminism I have been familiar with since my early childhood. This short film is my way of capturing a historic moment by grounding it in a daily life that I know and admire. By choosing to observe Tunisia in a familiar context, I will be able to confront it with the ideologies that shape and pull it in different directions.
These women have always been the driving force behind my inspiration and writing, and they are implicitly present in all of my projects. Ce court-métrage reste donc d’abord et avant tout un film personnel, un hommage à celles qui m’ont appris à être femme, une lettre d’amour à mes premières amours.
04/Media
«Throughout the documentary, dialogue is fast, snarky, and energetic. El Abed also uses a wide palette of colors, paying homage to some of her favorite filmmakers: Pedro Almodóvar and Agnès Varda.»
«Given how important having some historical context is to appreciating the film, El Abed starts her film with a couple of title cards that quickly and effectively establish the political situation and more importantly the women’s place in Tunisian society. With that out of the way, any viewer is then able to enjoy the fly-on-the-wall style of the documentary, which gives the film its intimate authenticity.»
«Amid hair dyes and blow dryers, words fly. In this dance between French and Arabic, all the issues driving the country are revealed. Accompanied by a small, all-female crew, Sarra El Abed returns home to create an ode to the women of her youth. This 19-minute film, borrowing the codes of cinéma vérité, stands out for its humor and freshness.»