In this sumptuous masterwork from Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, the outskirts of N’Djamena shimmer with a vivacity that belies brutal prejudices. A powerful ode to the resilience of Chadian women in the face of patriarchal cruelty, this quietly radical drama has all the healing warmth of a mother’s embrace.

This Chadian film was an underdog in the 2010 Cannes competition, but its transposition of a near fable-like story (reminiscent of F.W. Murnau’s silent masterpiece The Last Laugh) to an unexpected setting netted wide acclaim—and director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun went home with the Jury Prize.