A Stranger in Her Own City

Khadija Al-Salami ( )
A Stranger in Her Own City

In the ancient city of Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, lives the 13-years old Najmia, who dares to behave outrageously: she doesn’t wear an abaya, the traditional black over-garment for women, nor a headscarf. She persistently rejects traditions and obligations of her gender, and insists to do as she likes, just like the young boys of her age. In the end her resistance fails, and her father forces her to enter the adult world.

Khadija Al-Salami, FR/YE 2005, video, col, 29 min