“We stepped out for a walk on the beach,” Mariam (Mariam Al Ferjani) recalls as she reports her rape in a trailer for “Beauty and the Dogs.” “We were by the sea when a white car pulled up. Three men stepped out, yelling ‘Police.’” But the police weren’t there to help Mariam — instead, they raped her.
As traumatized as Mariam is, she’s determined to find justice. Unfortunately — and unsurprisingly — she doesn’t receive much outside support after she comes forward about the attack. Police officers keep urging Mariam to “think about” what she’s doing and sleep on her decision to press charges. The healthcare providers who examine Mariam talk over her as if she’s not there. The only source of comfort is Youssef (Ghanem Zrelli), the kind stranger who escorts Mariam to the police station. “Don’t let them scare you,” Youssef tells her, “don’t give up your rights.”
Written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, “Beauty and the Dogs” premiered at Cannes 2017 in the Un Certain Regard category. Taking place over one night, the film investigates the aftermath of rape when, as the film’s press materials put it, “justice lies on the side of [the] tormentors.”
Ben Hania previously directed features “Zaineb takrahou ethelj,” a portrait of a young immigrant in Canada, and “Le challat de Tunis,” a mystery about an infamous Tunisian criminal.
“Beauty and the Dogs” opens in NY and LA March 23.
