Sisters in Law

Award-winning documentary focusing on justice in the Muslim village of Kumba Town in Cameroon. The town is overseen by the progressive female partnership of prosecutor Vera Ngassa and court president Beatrice Ntuba, who work together to help women to speak out and fight back against assumptions of patriacrchal priviledge in modern-day Africa. The cases include Sonita, a young girl who accuses a neighbour of rape; Manka, a six-year-old who has been beaten with a coat-hanger; and Amina, a wife seeking divorce from her abusive husband, All three are given the sort of support that extends beyond legal advice and becomes a crucial act of empowerment. The film won the 'Art et Essai' prize at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.