Yamina Benguigui's Inch'Allah Dimanche (2001) : Phenomenon of Algerian Migration
Cultural Studies: Transnationality,
Globalization, and Postcoloniality
INCH’ALLAH DIMANCHE (2001):
PHENOMENON OF ALGERIAN MIGRATION
Introduction
This
writing is composed as an answer to A
Cultural Studies: A Practical Introduction by Michael Ryan and Hanna Musiol
about issue caused by migration that is represented in French/Algerian Film
entitled Inch’Allah Dimanche (Inch’Allah
Sunday) released in 2001 by Yamina Benguigui. As a recollection of her
childhood experience, this film portrays issue, as it is narrated in the very
beginning scene, about Algerian families’ life, in France after World War II in
which the government recruited massively North-Africans, Maghrebins, mostly from Algeria. Back then, French was in a big
need of labor force as it caused men’s immigration. But the law did not allow
them to bring their families. In 1974, Chirac’s law stopped the continuing
migration and promoted a “Family Reunion” in which wives and children were
given permission to join their husbands and fathers. Benguigui indirectly shares her own story to
the film how she and many Algerian women manage their live in French community
and survive from diversities. This film somehow best represents
transnationality, depicted through character, as a result of migration—main
reason and globalization, and postcoloniality issue.
Discussion
A.
Plot
Summary
In 1974, the French
government promoted the “Family Reunion” that enabled Algerian men working in
France to bring their families to legally join them. Inch’Allah Dimanche is started by Zouina (Fejria Deliba)
who is miserably says good-bye to her friends and family in Algeria. With full
of hope of new life she goes to France with her three children and mother-in-law
to live together with her husband. Despite feeling new atmosphere freely, this
voluntary migration has indeed put Zouina somewhere between tradition and
modernity. Ahmed (Zeniden Soualem),
Zouina’s husband, forbids her to leave the house. In the film, Zouina is
physically abused by her husband and emotionally attacked by her mother-in-law (Rabia
Mokeddem) who is verbally abusive. They abuse her when she does what they think
is disaster. Madame Donze (France Darry), Zouina’s neighbor, who is so obsessed
with winning the prize for the best garden cannot that easily give her sympathy
to Zouina. She and her husband in some ways have prejudice toward Zouina’s
family. On the other sides, Nicole (Mathilde Seigner), a divorcee and another
Zouina’s neighbor who works in a makeup factory and Madame Manant (Marie-France
Pisier), Zouina’s acquaintance
whose husband died in Algeria, accept Zouina, and helps her embrace French
culture and other new stuffs. Time flies. Zouina finds herself struggling
between traditional Algerian values and modernization of France. In France she
lives in a prison. But Zouina then finds her one and only day of relief in
Sunday – a day when Ahmed and his mother are out of the house.
B.
Tension
between Traditional Culture and New Global Culture as A Main Effect Caused by Migration
Phenomenon of migration somehow will
give effect of culture shock to the immigrants as they will practice cultural
routines that are not probably practiced in new place (nation) they live. Inch’Allah Dimanche depicts Algerian
Immigrants’ way of life in which the depiction is well disposed to Algerian
Muslim traditionalists—a stereotype.
We
can see through characterization of Zouina’s mother-in-law. She comes up as a very
powerful figure and a way too domineering. It is been shown how she keeps
telling Zouina what to do in a very harsh way. Her mother-in-law represents a
burden tradition. The old tradition can also be seen in Zouina’s disastrous
visit with Malika, another Algerian family in France. Zouina’s good intention
to ask Malika to celebrate Eid together ends up with Malika’s anger. There, Zouina finds Malika is still dominated
by her husband, finds tradition that a daughter’s marriage should be arranged,
finds that leaving out house without husband is like a person sent by a devil.
Both mother-in-law and Malika are stereotype of Mediterranean women who
perpetuate Algerian tradition and reject integration of culture.
The
way Ahmed, Zouina’s husband, treats her is a way abusive and represents
patriarchy system by Algerian Muslim family. Ahmed may potentially feel that
Zouina’s hijab or veil will identify her as a threat by other community as this
decision leave Zouina to not to leave the house. We may also find Ahmed is
threatened by Zouina as she is able to read while he is not. When he finds that
Zouina gets a book he brutally hits her and destroys the book. Unfortunately
the same thing happens at the same time when he finds that Zouina hides
cosmetics given by their neighbor Nicole.
This
oppressive situation has made Zouina want freedom. She deep down prefers French
or modern culture to oppressive culture from her own origin country—a
transnationality issue. Her rebellion starts from the way she goes out the
house on three Sundays on a row, her interest to listen to the Radio program—the
same thing as Madame Donze’s, her anger toward mother-in-law and her fight
against Madame Donze.
C.
Postcoloniality
Issue
Back
then in early 20th Algeria was one of France’s colonies. Around
centuries of colonialism Algeria reached its independence day on 1962. Inch’Allah Dimanche represents
postcoloniality issue in two small portions. First, in Algerian side many of
them make a living working as a labor which is in the film is represented
living a life poorly. They still endure discrimination. When Zouina fought
against Madame Donze, a French police is well disposed to have reconciliation
toward the Donzes instead of Zouina’s family. Even a French passer-by asks the
police to stay away from Algerian family. On French side, era after war has
left a bad memory to Madame Manant who loses her husband, Colonel Henry missing
in the mountains of Kabylia, Algeria. The feeling of losing family member makes
Madame Manant feel sympathy to Zouina and helps her to find another Algerian
family.
Conclusion
Inch’Allah Dimanche (2001)
by Yamina Benguigui is a French/Algerian Film that represents the phenomenon
migration of Algerian. In 1974, the French government promoted the “Family
Reunion” that enabled Algerian men working in France to bring their families to
legally join them. This voluntary migration in some ways put the main character
Zouina in a corner—the difficulties of migration, integration, and impossible
sense of independence. The migration causes Zouina in a place between
traditional culture and modern life. Traditional culture is best shown by the
characterization of mother-in-law and Malika who portrays a stereotype of
Mediterranean women who perpetuate Algerian tradition and refuse integration of
a new culture—French culture. Some scenes best describe patriarchy system of
Algerian Muslim. Transnationality is best described in a way Zouina still
insists herself to embrace new culture since it promotes freedom and happiness.
She loves going out, trying make-up
product, reading book about
women sexuality, listening to the French radio
program—a power of globalization that will result in modernity. Postcoloniality issue in this film is shown by
Algerian family who is still under injustice and discrimination in France. But,
thing goes differently characterized by Madame Manant whose husband, Colonel
Henry, who was missing and probably dead in Algeria. The feeling of losing
family member makes her sympathy to Zouina who wants to find Bouira family,
another Algerian family.
References
·
Benguigui, Y. (Director), & Deraïs,
B. (Producer). (2001). Inch’Allah
Dimanche. Film Movement: USA
·
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inch’Allah_Dimanche
accessed on June, 9 2014 at 12.36 p.m.
·
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Algeria
accessed on June, 18 2014 at 12.29 p.m
·
http://www.filmmovementcanada.com/downloads/press/InchPressKit.pdf
accessed on June, 9 2014 at 7.48 p.m.
·
http://www.erin.utoronto.ca/~w3cevans/fre397/InchAllahDimanche.pdf
accessed on June, 9 2014 at 7.49 p.m.
·
http://www.erin.utoronto.ca/~w3cevans/fre397/IN_InchAllahPresentation
accessed on June, 9 2014 at 8 p.m.
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