In the canton of Boutefil at the gateway to the Chadian desert, unmarried women are accused by the Iman of being the source of the divine wrath on the village. The village chiefs decide to hold a traditional ceremony, the Amchilini, which consists in forcing all unmarried women to choose a husband. But there are voices, especially among young girls, against what they see as an attack to their dignity and freedom. They claim equal rights and autonomy as men.

Amchilini (Choose Me) is at times tender, sometimes surprisingly funny, always nuanced, in how it captures a community carefully navigating the wants of different generations, navigating a point of transition in which tensions are inherent but a necessary part in the forging of a new future.

We would like to encourage our audiences in this screening to talk throughout the film. We will give an explanation before the film on how this will work. Due to the forum communication themes of the film we wanted to replicate this in our cinema space, and challenge our ideas of what watching an African film in the cinema can feel like.

The screening will have a short contextual introduction, and will be followed by space to discuss the film and its themes.

This screening is part of Leeds International African Arts Festival 2024.

You can book any 4 Cinema Africa! tickets for the price of 3, and any 14 Cinema Africa! tickets for the price of 10.

Original language title Choisis-Moi
Duration 1hr 9mins
Director Allamine Kader Kora
Distributor LAURENT BITTY
Year 2023
Country of origin Côte d'Ivoire • Chad
Language Arabic with English Subtitles