Unfolding in an unspecified time and uncertain place, the pic’s poetic and visually striking opening moments establish the universal nature of the theme, as a bevy of black-clad women sets off for the local cemetery, their solidarity splitting only when some veer toward the Christian section and others toward the Muslim. They’re from a place with more dead than living, a remote spot surrounded by landmines and accessible only by a damaged bridge, where mosque and church stand nearly side by side.
Most days, the women gather at the cafe of feisty Christian widow Amal (helmer Labaki) to share gossip. When fighting in the outside world incites local incidents between members of the two faiths, the women work night and day to defuse the situation, with some of their solutions more potent than others. - Alissa Simon, Variety
Winner, People’s Choice Award for best film, Toronto International Film Festival.
Winner, Audience (Fiction) Award, Doha Tribeca Film Festival.