Sisterhood

Twin sisters Husai and Hassi want to leave Sierra Leone to look for work in the Middle East, so they can lift their parents out of poverty. They haven’t always been as united as they are now. Husai grew up with her aunt and was the more enterprising of the two—she’s already had some misadventures abroad. When she got pregnant, unmarried, her family was outraged. Now their taciturn father supports their plan to emigrate, but their mother is opposed to the decision. However, the sisters are in no mood to change their minds.

This slice-of-life documentary takes us close to the action, set against the backdrop of a sweltering city. The twins’ confidential disclosures add depth to the domestic scenes, work at the market, and meetings with fixers claiming they can arrange visas for them. The result is an intimate and vibrant portrait with powerful moments of emotion that looks beyond the desire for a better future and the tensions between old traditions and new dreams, and shows how a new and powerful bond is forged between the two sisters. Sisterhood is part of Generation Africa, a documentary project centering on youth and migration.