Fighter

Caught this film on late night TV by accident, and I was immediately drawn into the story. The conflict that Aicha finds herself in, a young woman who adopts the role of a kung fu fighter in a society that represses women's roles and its implications for her, her family, and their "friends" is developed. It's like seeing a stone dropped in water, the ripples move out, and reflect back on themselves in some complex way. In this culture, it's OK for her brother to become a doctor; but it is not OK for Aicha to be what she is. Not only does she have to master herself to develop her martial arts skills in the traditional way, she also has to deal with the fact that almost everyone around her seeks her failure, implicitly or explicitly. Even the few Westerners who might appreciate her independence as a woman have no appreciation for her discipline. That she can find a way through all of her struggle and personal loneliness in a believable and compelling way is a tribute to Aicha within the context of the story, but also of Semra Turan's acting skill and Natasha Arty's directing skill. The cast is great, the tension real, the action plausible and gritty, the characters' flaws are drawn out truthfully and intertwined as the story moves forward. At one point, her father asks Aicha "Who could ever love someone like you?" Well I did. Bravo.