Legal Dream Team Tackles Tough Issues in Cameroon DOC NYC hosts 10th anniversary screening of 'Sisters in Law'
Written by Susan Keyloun
Shot over a three-month period, Sisters in Law, a Cannes award-winning documentary which marks its 10th anniversary as part of the DOC Redux line-up, follows two feisty, no-nonsense women in the small village of Kumba, Cameroon as they fight against injustice and inhumanity. Prosecutor Vera Ngassa and Judge Beatrice Ntuba, who deal mainly with the inequality of women and children, give victims their day in court while demanding justice from their brutal persecutors, in a manner that would give Judge Judy a run for her money.
While Ngassa and Ntuba courageously fight against child abuse, spousal abuse and rape, they also find themselves fighting against long-standing customs in this tiny part of the world, where oppressive cultural traditions play starring roles. Through one particular case, the film reveals that while spousal abuse is against the law, it is rampant in Kumba, and there have been no convictions in 17 years because women have been reluctant to speak up against their abusers. Ngassa and Ntuba not only uphold the law in case after case, but counsel the victims and encourage them to speak up for their rights and break long-standing cycles of abuse. And although they continuously find vindication for their clients, they rarely celebrated. It’s on to the next case without fanfare or accolades.
“I’m so busy, I really don’t need the praise,” said Ngassa to director Kim Longinotto during filming. In the post-screening discussion, Longinotto explained, “Vera is all about breaking cycles, and she still practices law, and the wrongdoers are still terrified of her. But although she’s so direct and cool and straightforward, she’s still very hardworking and democratic. She doesn’t talk in hierarchies at all.”
Like Ngassa and Ntuba, Longinotto’s films often champion the cause of the courageous, and her subjects often happen to be women. Her most recent film, Dreamcatcher, which follows a former prostitute in Chicago who has dedicated her life to helping other sex workers, will be screened at DOCNYC on November 19. She was also awarded the Robert and Anne Drew Award for “Mid-Career Filmmaker Concentrating on Observational Cinema” at DOC NYC’s November 12th Visionaries Tribute, which recognizes those who perform exemplary service to the documentary form.
Susan Keyloun has been published in New York Magazine, The New York Times, and DOCNYC blogs. She has also worked with DOCNYC as featured photographer.
