The Power of Men Is the Patience of Women

A docu-drama on battered wives, reconstructing the very painful experiences of Addi (Walinski), a young working mother, at the hands of her husband (and of the patriarchal powers-that-be). A strange hybrid of narrative and documentary realism, the film is sometimes hard to watch, but the use of Addi's voice-over, commenting and analysing her situation, widens it out to demand involvement. Made on a slim budget by a largely female crew, it's a sincere if distressing film which contrives to end on a positive note: women can be strong, especially when they act together.