Brides of the Desert
Israel, 2008, 90 min, Arabic and Hebrew, English and Hebrew subtitles
Miriam El Kwader, a Bedouin wedding photographer and mother of seven, living in an unknown and neglected Negev village, reveals through her camera lens, the world of Bedouin weddings; the most distressing issue revealed is polygamy.
This is the story of three, relatively educated and independent women, trying to survive, each in their own way in their world – a life of polygamy. One is a "first wife", living in constant fear that her husband will bring home a second wife. The other two are pushed into marrying already married men, and become "second wives", forced to cooperate within a structure they despise or are afraid of.
The family tragedies presented in this film, highlight the strength and survival of the social structures and their injustices; leaning usually on the victims'' partial cooperation.
Director: Ada Ushpiz Producer: Ada Ushpiz Cinematography: Danor Glazer Editor: Ron Goldman Sound Designer: Alex Claude Original Music: Eli Soorani