Our initial views of the family are loving. They are shown to be truly caring for one another with familial ribbing and teasing. We are shown hints of the struggle they've been through relocating to Canada as refugees and finding their identities within the western culture. It is all what we have seen before. We are brought into the nature of this family before things go wrong.
When crisis hits the family it is Antigone who stands up and takes the brunt of it. She makes tough choices and never waivers, like her namesake. It is a portrait of human strength. The film does a great job of capturing the way so much of the human struggle in our world falls on the shoulders of women.
Another thing the film does well is show Antigone become an inspiration, the way her example of resistance brings that out around her. She empowers those around her, from those immediately in her presence to those in her community. This is esepcially cogent in light of her relationship to her community as both immigrant and non-citizen.
Ricci as the title character is a pillar of strength, showing how standing up for what she believes is right wears on her yet also strengthens her resolve. Her performance is subtle but rich, embodying that strength and power the film highlights.
Antigone works remarkably well to do all it sets out to do. It is a powerful story of human strength in the face of desperate situations.
Antigone
Starring: Nahema Ricci, Nour Belkhiria, Rawad El-Zein, Hakim Brahimi, Rachida Oussaada
Writer/Director: Sophie Deraspe
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