How Long Is “Inch'Allah Dimanche”?

Yamina Benguigui directs this gritty tale about one woman's struggle to maintain her dignity in the face of cultural barriers and a hellish home life. Following World War II, the French army recruited Algerian men to leave their families and fight on the side of colonists. These men were effectively separated from their loved ones until 1974 when masses of women and children left Algeria for France. This film focuses on Zouina, who in the film's outset tentatively boards a ship bound for Marseilles with her children and foul-tempered mother-in-law in tow. Once in France, Zouina gets a taste of the uncomfortable family life that awaits her -- her estranged husband greets his mother first, children next, and then finally his wife. Zouina soon becomes a veritable domestic slave, not allowed to leave the house, and subject to frequent beatings. Her next door neighbor are a fussy French couple who are aghast at her family's strange behavior -- boiling coffee and frequent spitting. Her other neighbor is a liberally minded woman who seems to like Zouina, wanting to teach her more about modern French culture. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival, where it received the Fipresci Award.