Where Do We Go Now?(Nadine Labaki 2011)France, Lebanon, Egypt, Italy

Reviewed by Lulu Yamaguchi. Viewed at Santa Barbara Film Festival

“Where Do We Go Now?” is the closing film of Santa Barbara Film Festival 2012.

It starts a scene that women in black sing and walk to a cemetery. This Film is about religion issue. In a small village, Christians and Muslims live together. Their life seems frugal. They are excited to watch first TV in the village. There is only one store. Women quarrels  trivial things like who is going to buy new stuff in this small store. They are all live together very peacefully except about their religion. Their relationship are very fragile. One of characters says that even  though Christian and Muslims died, they are buried separately.  They can be a neighbor, they can work together, they can laugh together, but they have a invisible wall between them.

Middle of the film, one Christian boy is killed accidentally. The village is in a controversy. People may easy to drive fight each other. Moreover the boy’s brother heads conflict. The boy’s death can be a trigger… His mother makes a heavy decision.This scene touched so much.

Most part of the film filled with humor. We can keep watching easily the film even though the theme is seriously heavy. Humor and seriousness is  exquisite match together.

This film tells us very simple matter that one of the most difficult to solve. It is two different things can be match together, when we get a different view point.