PIONNIÈRES

2014 | Documentary | 40′ | FR  | vo Ar st Fr 

In July 2012, Libyans lived their first democratic national elections, after 42 years of Gaddafi’s dictatorship, 6 months of Civil War and more than 20.000 dead. 3.702 candidates ran for the Libyan National Congress. For the very first time, women could also be part of it. 625 took their chance. «Pionneers» reveals a country in an historical moment, through the struggle of two of these women. Myriam El-Tayab took part in the revolution from the very beginning. She was pregnant by then, but active on the front line of the war, and even fought against her own family. By running for elections in the Tripoli area, she wanted to build a country where Gaddafi’s supporters would live together, in peace with revolutionaries. Layla El-Sounoussi went up and down the 400 km desert’s of the Mourzouk region, in south-east of Lybia, in order to campaign in villages, talking to men when they go out from the Mosq, explaining them what elections and democracy are about. She struggled for women to have a space in politics. Within the Libyan people, Myriam and Layla, navigate through the unknown territories of democracy, in asociety that never allowed women to be the leaders.