Where Do We Go Now?

Year: 2011

Director: Nadine Labaki

How will we cope? How will we cope? We're women. Now please stop asking stupid questions.

- Made in Dagenham (Nigel Cole, 2010)

The Melodrama or ‘Woman’s Film’ is identified as such by its focus on women and the domestic sphere. Often concerning lost or unrequited love, the Melodrama is essentially about women in love.

Et maintenant, on va où (Where Do We Go Now?) is the story of a small village in Lebanon where outlying areas have been ravaged by violence between Christian and Muslim communities. The village itself is half Christian and half Muslim, and has seen more than its fair share of violence.

The women of the village try their best to keep the men civil, but when tensions threaten to erupt they take matters further by employing a group of Ukrainian dancers to ‘get stuck’ in the village. Eager to please these newcomers, the men turn to mush. But how long will this scheme work?

This is a woman’s film in the very best sense. These are incredibly strong women willing to do whatever it takes for love. Here this love is a love for their husbands, brothers, sons, and fathers, and it is as fun to watch as it is frustrating as these men push the limits of these women’s love as far as they can go.

It’s the mark of a good film that can tell the story of a particular group of people in a way that is still relevant and relatable for a global audience and Labaki has crafted an exquisite film. These women are entirely relatable, not just for other women but for men as well. It’s an engaging story told in a heartfelt way – by turns hilarious and devastating, and never boring. It’s hard to find any fault at all; even the unexpected musical numbers are a delight. Reportedly earning a five-minute standing ovation at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, a crowd renowned for being hard to impress, Where Do We Go Now? is a beautiful exploration of gender, religion and love and well worth a viewing.

Where Do We Go Now? opens Thursday June 28 at Tower Cinema Newcastle on June 25.