La Fille de Mederdra
Elisabeth Delfau, Les Films d’Ici, France, Mauritanie, 1986
The selected extract from the documentary La Fille de Mederdra shows the force-feeding of a young girl in Mederdra, Mauritania. In such Arabian, Islamic Moorish societies, the notion of male superiority over women is very pronounced. At birth, the newborn is welcomed with joy if it is a boy, while the mother is congratulated on having survived if it is a girl. Contrary to Western standards, well-rounded women embody the beauty ideal. Young girls are therefore force-fed milk to make them gain weight and help secure their marriage.
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