Evil Dead II (1987)

In a Whisper, a film directed by Leyla Bouzid, follows Lilia as she goes back to Tunisia in the wake of her Uncle Daly’s(Karim Remadi)death. Lilia is accompanied by her girlfriend on the flight, but once they arrive Alice must stay at a hotel and keep her presence a secret from Lilia’s family members, most of whom don’t know about her sexuality. Over the course of the film, Lilia must cope with the judgement her family casts upon Daly for being gay, the homophobic laws of her home country, and the rising tension in her relationship.

I watched this movie as part of the Reeling Film Festival, an international LGBTQ+ film festival in Chicago. Keep up with all of my coverage and stay tuned for more queer film reviews coming soon!

Lilia (Eya Bouteraa) and Alice (Marion Barbeau) reside in France. Lilia is the only person in her family who moved out of the country. Even her mother (Hiam Abbass), who flouted convention by working a job and getting a divorce, does not understand her daughter’s desire to be an engineer so far from where she grew up. This dynamic creates tension between Lilia and the women who love her prior to her sexuality coming to light. Her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother all shower her with love, but they refuse to condone her choices.