Watching: Madame la France, ma mère et moi

Overview

"In Algeria, I fought to ensure that girls—like me—would not be forced to wear the veil. In France, I began defending women's right to wear it, should they choose to do so. Does that surprise you? To me, it is the same fight. By revisiting the stereotypes that have clung to Arab women since the colonial era, Madame la France, ma mère et moi examines the way French people view women of Maghrebi origin. This film—for which I retraced the steps of my mother and aunt in Algeria—will, I hope, help people understand my anger, an anger shared by many Arabs in France." (Samia Chala)