Sisters in Law

Published 7:00 am Monday, October 9, 2006

Vera Ngassa, state prosecutor in Kumba, Cameroon, has more charisma than Oprah. You’ll want to “uh-huh” her every word—and those from tough judge Beatrice Ntuba, too—in this compelling courtroom documentary. Ngassa’s clients are mostly underdogs, mainly Muslim women trying to escape their abusive husbands. We also see a 6-year-old who has been horribly beaten by her aunt, and a 10-year-old rape victim. The results of the trials lead you to believe that there may someday be hope for women living in this small patriarchal village, but just a glimmer of hope. Only after 17 years of practice does Ngassa convict a man of spousal abuse. (Most women drop charges after filing an initial complaint.)

Co-directors Kim Longinotto and Florence Ayisi beautifully capture the essence of the small village. Crowing roosters, pidgin English, colorful dresses on women carrying goods atop their heads—it’s a poetic, stirring backdrop for some serious jurisprudence. And you certainly couldn’t write better dialogue than these courtroom proceedings. “I only beat her when I was angry,” says one defendant with a straight face. Out of court, two women dish about being married to abusive men; one compares her situation to having a chicken bone stuck in her throat for years. Divorce, she says, was like finally drinking water and dislodging the bone. (Try and top that visceral analogy, you Hollywood screenwriters.) The best speech comes at the very end, as Ngassa addresses a group of students.

Unfortunately, however, the film does a poor job of identifying people and places. In one scene involving a group of family members coming to claim the young abused girl, Manka, some narration or explanatory titles sure would’ve helped alleviate the confusion. Luckily, the emotions created by the film come through strongly and clearly. Justice is served. Shifty criminals are convicted (go ahead and cheer). Women are empowered. It’s all in a day’s work for Ngassa.