Set during World War II in Tunis, Karin Albou's The Wedding Song is the story of a friendship between adolescent girls tested by drastic circumstances. Myriam (Lizzie Brochere) is Jewish; Nour (Olympe Borval) is Muslim. When bombs begin to descend upon on the city, leaflets dropped blaming the destruction on England's love for Jews, and Jewish men rounded up for work camps, this childhood friendship is sorely tried.
In the midst of poverty and war, both girls prepare for marriage. Nour very much wants to wed her handsome cousin, Khaled, unaware of the fact that he has found work with the Nazi party. In contrast, Myriam is forced by her mother (played by filmmaker Albou) to wed a wealthy, older doctor in order to pay the fine fines imposed on Jews by the Nazis. Nour envies the sumptuous gifts Myrium receives from her wealthy fiance; Myriam longs for the sexual attraction shared between Nour and her paramour. Khalel insists that Nour drop her association with the Jewish girl she has loved her entire life. The fact that Myriam and Nour love each other is not enough to compete with current events.
Many, many movies have been made about World War II, but Albou's film provides a fresh perspective. It also doesn't hurt that her two lead actresses are terrifically beautiful, talented -- and frequently undressed. The opening scene of The Wedding Song takes place in a local bathhouse. In the steamy hot room, beautiful Myriam and Nour are topless, leaning in close to share intimate secrets, and the audience is treated to generous views of their young flesh. The Wedding Song is an erotic film, though not gratuitously so.
