AT NIGHT, THEY DANCE (Isabelle Lavigne,Stéphane Thibault, Canada). 80 minutes. Subtitled. Rating: NNNN
In Cairo, one-time belly dancer Reda teaches the dying art to her daughters, three of her seven children, with whom she fights about their money, drugs and boyfriends.
This is one of those docs that thrusts you into another culture. Here, women perform in all-male environments – mostly wedding-related – and yet the danger factor is strangely low.
Though it’s a tad long, the film features some breathtaking images: Reda training her gum-chewing teen daughter, who looks like a young child male wedding guests throwing money at the groom a young girl’s hands as she practises traditional movements.
Very strong.
