Amina (Achouackh Abakar Souleymane), is a single mother and practicing Muslim living on the outskirts of the Chadian capital of N’Djamena, scraping a living for her and her daughter. When she finds out that her 15-year-old daughter is not only pregnant and has been expelled from school, but that she also doesn’t want the child Amina is caught between her faith, the unforgiving laws women are forced to navigate and her love for her daughter. In a country where abortion is severely punished, Maria’s situation reveals the often brutal realities of the patriarchy. However, Amina believes in the sacred bonds that bind humanity, or the Lingui – invisible to the eye and with its roots deep in the fabric of African culture. Finding solidarity with other women, Amina becomes increasingly determined to support her daughter. Director Haroun has created a profoundly humane and powerful drama that celebrates the way female bonds offer many women a life raft when drowning in the sea of patriarchy.

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