All parents want their kids to have a better life than they had and, especially, to avoid the troubles they had to navigate growing up. Amina is no different, as she does everything she can to make sure her teenage daughter, Maria, has everything she needs for a successful life. However, things gets thrown out of orbit when Maria suddenly gets pregnant. This is the event that shifts the plot into high gear, as Amina and Maria now search for a way to secure an abortion, a procedure forbidden by the society they occupy. The urgency of this scenario gives “Lingui, the Sacred Bonds” a compelling sense of narrative propulsion, even while the film adheres to a quiet naturalistic style of pacing reminiscent of the works of Chantal Akerman or Yasujiro Ozu.

Director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun avoids the melodramatic pitfalls that can plague other movies dealing with the topic of abortion. Instead, his focus remains on more interesting storytelling material like how Amina and Maria cling to their autonomy and desires in the face of societally ingrained oppression. In the vein of other great modern films like “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” “Lingui, the Sacred Bonds” is technically a film about abortion that’s also so much more than that. In this case, “Sacred Bonds” is primarily a movie centered on the complexities of mother/daughter relationships, as well as highlighting the hoops people have to jump through to have control over their bodies.

• Starring: Achouackh Abakar, Rihane Khalil Alio, Youssouf Djaoro
• Director: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
• Runtime: 87 minutes
• Rating: N/A
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%