Starring: Stephanie Linus, Liz Benson, Zubaida Ibrahim Fagge

Synopsis:
An African girl becomes stuck in a cultural trap when she is forced into a marriage and then suffers an illness that makes her the outcast of her community.

Review:
The movie opens up to Zara (Stephanie Linus), an award winning doctor, who works at a hospital in Wales. She made strides in her career and was on the verge of becoming engaged to her boyfriend. Although she seemed to have life at her fingertips she was troubled by her past in Africa.

Meanwhile, back in a village in Nigeria, Halima (Zubaide Ibrahim Fagge), a thirteen year old girl, was forced by her parents to marry an older man although she vehemently opposed the marriage. As “property” of her husband, he felt entitled to her body and raped her.

A pregnancy followed and after a home delivery to a dead baby,  Halima suffered from fistula and its humiliating stigma. She was shunned by her village and later discarded by her husband.

The two storylines merged when Zara arrived in Africa on a medical mission and confronted her past with Halima as her patient.

Let’s Talk. This DVD sat on my shelf for the longest because I wasn’t in the mood for its subject matter – child brides. It turned out to be so much more and I regret not watching it sooner.

It’s inspired by a true story and not only calls attention to underage marriages but it also brings about awareness to vesicovaginal fistula – a female medical condition that causes involuntary urination and other complications. 

It’s estimated that millions of women suffer in silence with fistula when it’s preventable and treatable. Disenfranchised women are prone to such ailments when they give birth without professional equipment and supervision.

The movie was well executed. Two separate stories collided as the search for answers brought the two main characters together. There were many tearjerking scenes and most heartbreaking was that a parent would sell their child to the highest bidder. Such cultural practices still thrive throughout the world and at the core of it all is poverty. Although gender inequality plays a role there is such a thing as child grooms.

It’s sad that dreams and ambitions of young girls are basically nullified on day one depending on where they were born. The question becomes how do we combat underage marriages? Actually, what’s underage? Clearly it varies from country to country and that’s part of the problem. What’s obvious is that stale traditions are cyclical and causes poverty to be inherited from generation to generation.

Performances were impressive – not a false moment throughout the entire production. Among a diverse cast, Stephanie Linus and Zubaida Ibrahim Fagge gave award winning renditions of their characters.

This movie was created around a social issue with an essence that relates to the value of women. It sets a new bar in Nollywood as movies of this caliber are few and far between.

At a time when the United States is dealing with a president that threatens human rights, especially that of women, we must continue to fight to protect our futures and children around the globe. RECOMMEND