Wedding Marriage (1962) - full transcript
This movie received the First Prize
in the Ethnographic Film Festival
Silver Medal in
Cannes Film Festival 1962
On the bank of a river,
a young girl, Maryam,
was washing her clothes.
Accidentally, she let a handkerchief go.
It began to drift away.
Rinsing another cloth,
she saw the handkerchief.
Will she go after it?
No! She is afraid.
Luckily, two you men were nearby.
One of them, Garba, dived and
brought the handkerchief back.
This was the opening scene
that led them to meet.
But the man had to go back to work
and had no choice but to leave.
Everyday, Garba was fishing.
One day, on his way,
he met a child to whom
he used to tell stories.
Casting a glance here and there,
he saw a girl faraway.
She were Maryam.
He waved and moved closer to her.
"Ah! What a nice surprise!", Garba said.
Yes, absolutely.
Where were you going?
I was looking for you.
With fish traps?
Then they engaged in serious talk.
But before he left,
Garba begged Maryam to meet him again.
That's how they agreed on a
rendez-vous on the riverbank.
Garba was very happy for this promise.
It was unexpected but wished for.
He jumped and danced!
What good fishing!
Later, at sunset,
the two friends met on the riverbank.
Garba was wearing
his most beautiful clothes.
The most beautiful gift for Maryam,
as a wedding promise,
was a pair of shoes.
Before they parted,
Garba said to Maryam
that he would tell his parents
about their decision.
Home,
Garba told his father
"I'm in love with a girl."
"I love her and she loves me."
But marriage is of great
importance in our country.
It involves the participation
of the boy's family.
And the girl's family too.
That's the reason why his elder sister
sent griots,
spokesmen of African villages.
Sitting on the village's bridge,
the boy told the girl...
"Maryam, I told my parents about you."
"I think they will send griots
to ask for your hand tomorrow."
Maryam was very happy.
On that bridge,
they will spend the whole night
wondering about their future.
The griots were now ready to go.
On their way, they are always
asked to answer some questions.
They never stop talking.
"What are you here for?",
asked Maryam's uncle.
"Something very serious."
"We came to ask for
your daughter's hand."
"In the name of Garba,
son of Daerou the fisherman."
For a long time,
the parents of the girl
consider the question.
Home, Garba is longing for the answer.
He's coming and going.
Maryam is hiding behind the mat.
She's carefully listening to
her uncle's words.
The griots smilingly
came back to Daerou.
An agreement was made.
Garba's elder sister let him know.
"Tomorrow, you can go to your
in-laws and thank them."
The next day,
Garba, accompanied by his friends,
went to thank the girl's parents
for the agreement that was made.
The agreement allowed him
to come each evening
to his in-laws' house
without any problem.
In a refitted part of the yard
they kept chatting.
Time was flying by.
Before he left,
Garba gave a little gift to the girl.
Home, Daerou was already
paying the dowry.
For a young girl, it usually costs
between 25.000 and 30.000 Francs.
The money is counted
by several people.
Then given to the spokesman.
Only then is the dowry
given to Maryam's uncle.
Maryam's uncle receives the dowry
in front of witnesses.
Two months passed.
The season changed.
This finally is the wedding day.
Men, women, children and marabous,
they all gathered in front of
Maryam's family's spokesman.
The betrotheds' presence
is not required.
Marriage is an important ceremony
for the Nigerien.
Sheep are killed to make a feast.
The marabous receive presents.
After a few Koranic verses,
the marriage is celebrated.
The griots, idlers of the society,
never miss such festivities.
Some young girls are playing drums
and others are clapping.
The atmosphere is
filled with ululations.
Standing in the middle of the circle,
the newlywed must prove to the griot
how esteemed he is
by receiving on his head
gifts from his friends and family.
The same goes for the young girl.
The ceremony lasts for 7 days.
4 at the bride's parents',
3 at the groom's parents'.
People dance until daybreak.
Maryam receives the last advice
from her parents.
Taken by a dense crowd,
she enters her marital house.
Here is Garba.
During this celebration,
the custom requires him
to wear a turban.
Yes, Maryam, you are now a woman.
On your promising face,
Garba's lineage is already living.
Here is the final ceremony.
These are Garba's "last greetings".
For us, a greeting consists of
thanking all those who took part
in the marriage's celebration.
Garba is back to his daily work.
While Maryam has the role of the woman.
She will cook the meals,
clean the house,
and will later take care
of the children.
Maryam is learning about her work.
Her hands hurt.
The chores are hard, Maryam!
One day, while she was cleaning,
Maryam saw a cushion seller walk in.
She decided to buy one.
But her husband refused.
Maryam got angry.
After a long talk,
she of course had the last word.
The husband had to change his mind.
Calm came back in the household
and the work started again.
The end
Subtitles: tadanobu@KG
in the Ethnographic Film Festival
Silver Medal in
Cannes Film Festival 1962
On the bank of a river,
a young girl, Maryam,
was washing her clothes.
Accidentally, she let a handkerchief go.
It began to drift away.
Rinsing another cloth,
she saw the handkerchief.
Will she go after it?
No! She is afraid.
Luckily, two you men were nearby.
One of them, Garba, dived and
brought the handkerchief back.
This was the opening scene
that led them to meet.
But the man had to go back to work
and had no choice but to leave.
Everyday, Garba was fishing.
One day, on his way,
he met a child to whom
he used to tell stories.
Casting a glance here and there,
he saw a girl faraway.
She were Maryam.
He waved and moved closer to her.
"Ah! What a nice surprise!", Garba said.
Yes, absolutely.
Where were you going?
I was looking for you.
With fish traps?
Then they engaged in serious talk.
But before he left,
Garba begged Maryam to meet him again.
That's how they agreed on a
rendez-vous on the riverbank.
Garba was very happy for this promise.
It was unexpected but wished for.
He jumped and danced!
What good fishing!
Later, at sunset,
the two friends met on the riverbank.
Garba was wearing
his most beautiful clothes.
The most beautiful gift for Maryam,
as a wedding promise,
was a pair of shoes.
Before they parted,
Garba said to Maryam
that he would tell his parents
about their decision.
Home,
Garba told his father
"I'm in love with a girl."
"I love her and she loves me."
But marriage is of great
importance in our country.
It involves the participation
of the boy's family.
And the girl's family too.
That's the reason why his elder sister
sent griots,
spokesmen of African villages.
Sitting on the village's bridge,
the boy told the girl...
"Maryam, I told my parents about you."
"I think they will send griots
to ask for your hand tomorrow."
Maryam was very happy.
On that bridge,
they will spend the whole night
wondering about their future.
The griots were now ready to go.
On their way, they are always
asked to answer some questions.
They never stop talking.
"What are you here for?",
asked Maryam's uncle.
"Something very serious."
"We came to ask for
your daughter's hand."
"In the name of Garba,
son of Daerou the fisherman."
For a long time,
the parents of the girl
consider the question.
Home, Garba is longing for the answer.
He's coming and going.
Maryam is hiding behind the mat.
She's carefully listening to
her uncle's words.
The griots smilingly
came back to Daerou.
An agreement was made.
Garba's elder sister let him know.
"Tomorrow, you can go to your
in-laws and thank them."
The next day,
Garba, accompanied by his friends,
went to thank the girl's parents
for the agreement that was made.
The agreement allowed him
to come each evening
to his in-laws' house
without any problem.
In a refitted part of the yard
they kept chatting.
Time was flying by.
Before he left,
Garba gave a little gift to the girl.
Home, Daerou was already
paying the dowry.
For a young girl, it usually costs
between 25.000 and 30.000 Francs.
The money is counted
by several people.
Then given to the spokesman.
Only then is the dowry
given to Maryam's uncle.
Maryam's uncle receives the dowry
in front of witnesses.
Two months passed.
The season changed.
This finally is the wedding day.
Men, women, children and marabous,
they all gathered in front of
Maryam's family's spokesman.
The betrotheds' presence
is not required.
Marriage is an important ceremony
for the Nigerien.
Sheep are killed to make a feast.
The marabous receive presents.
After a few Koranic verses,
the marriage is celebrated.
The griots, idlers of the society,
never miss such festivities.
Some young girls are playing drums
and others are clapping.
The atmosphere is
filled with ululations.
Standing in the middle of the circle,
the newlywed must prove to the griot
how esteemed he is
by receiving on his head
gifts from his friends and family.
The same goes for the young girl.
The ceremony lasts for 7 days.
4 at the bride's parents',
3 at the groom's parents'.
People dance until daybreak.
Maryam receives the last advice
from her parents.
Taken by a dense crowd,
she enters her marital house.
Here is Garba.
During this celebration,
the custom requires him
to wear a turban.
Yes, Maryam, you are now a woman.
On your promising face,
Garba's lineage is already living.
Here is the final ceremony.
These are Garba's "last greetings".
For us, a greeting consists of
thanking all those who took part
in the marriage's celebration.
Garba is back to his daily work.
While Maryam has the role of the woman.
She will cook the meals,
clean the house,
and will later take care
of the children.
Maryam is learning about her work.
Her hands hurt.
The chores are hard, Maryam!
One day, while she was cleaning,
Maryam saw a cushion seller walk in.
She decided to buy one.
But her husband refused.
Maryam got angry.
After a long talk,
she of course had the last word.
The husband had to change his mind.
Calm came back in the household
and the work started again.
The end
Subtitles: tadanobu@KG