AllMovie

The pain of servitude, the power of music, and the need for women to stick together provide the underlying themes for this Tunisian-French drama set in the ruling king's compound the night before Tunisia declared its independence. The story reflects the reminiscence of Alia, a 25 year old woman who was raised in the royal palace with her mother, Khedija, a lifelong servant there. One of Khedija's more odious tasks was to have sex with her masters. Alia has no idea who her father was. In the present Alia has an appointment for yet another abortion as requested by Lofti her boyfriend. When she hears that Prince Sid Ali died, she returns to the palace she ran away from 10 years ago. The palace is aging badly. As she returns, she finds herself confronted with all the memories she worked so hard to bury. She thinks about her unborn baby and begins to understand why her mother did not want her to become a servant.