Flower of Oblivion (2006)

Genres - Drama  |   Sub-Genres - Melodrama, Psychological Drama  |   Run Time - 101 min.  |   Countries - Morocco, Tunisia  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Jason Buchanan

The bright future of a beautiful young bride grows increasingly clouded the dissatisfaction of her marriage drives her to addiction and insanity in director Selma Baccar's bleak period drama. The time is the 1930s, and as the Tunisian upper crust thrives ethereal bride Zakia (Rabia Ben Abdallah) lovingly exchanges vows with the wealthy Si Mokhtar (Raouf Ben Amor). Their marriage quickly hits the skids, however, when it becomes glaringly obvious that Si favors the sexual intimacy of his male servant Jaafar (Mohamed-Ali Ben Jemaa) over the wife who longs to bear his child. Though her matriarchal mother-in-law (Halima Daoud) offers little solace to the long-suffering Zakia, a glimmer of hope shines through when the neglected wife eventually does become pregnant. When the delivery proves especially taxing and doctors offer Zakia a powerful poppy tea, what should have been the happiest moment in the new mother's life becomes a disastrous catalyst for a grim downward spiral. Subsequently addicted to opium, Zakia begins to neglect everything in her life - including daughter Meriem (Hend Fahem) - in pursuit of her growing addiction. Only after Zakia virtually sells her daughter to a shady suitor with a substantial poppy inheritance does the hopeless addict finally hit rock bottom. As she attempts to weather her difficult withdrawal in an asylum while entering into a curious romance with fellow inmate Khemias (Alaeddine Ayoub), Zakia gradually begins to take stock of her turbulent marriage and make sense of her troubling memories.

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Keywords

childbirth, daughter, drug-addiction, insanity, marital-problems, marriage, mental-breakdown, mental-institution