Big Little Women talks about the rebellion and the determination of three generations of women who have been fighting against patriarchy, and whose freedom has been threatened; a documentary with mixed emotions, action and reflection, past and present. Nawal Al Saadawi, aged 90, is a writer, psychiatrist and women’s rights activist. Nawal recounts her freedom through her personal story and her revolutionary spirit. She still fights today for women’s rights. Talking about her own story, as well as her father’s and her mother’s, Nadia Fares’ view explores the notion of patriarchy on both sides of the Mediterranean and juxtaposes with humour two very different cultures: Bern and Cairo.  Following on from the aborted Arab Spring, the younger generation of women decide to ride their bikes to free themselves and distribute meals to the poorest in an attempt to defeat many male prejudices. Big Little Women paints a touching mosaic of these rebellious women in the form of an imaginary letter that Nadia Fares sends to her father, who died in Cairo in 2014.

This film is aimed at a large audience, since it is a topical societal issue which concerns us all. The film is for those interested in history (thanks to the testimony of Nawal el Saadawi), the history of Arab countries, women, members of associations fighting for gender equality, to those active in foreign policy, to Swiss people, Egyptians, cinephiles, festival-goers, TV viewers (RTS, Arte). At the beginning of the 1970s, Nawal El Saadawi, a strong figure of the feminist movement and a doctor in Egypt, published a work entitled “Women and Sex”. This book has proved very popular with young people. To this day, it remains subject to censorship. It is in this post-Arab Spring context that binational director Nadia Fares, wishes to approach, through her own gaze, the notion of patriarchy between Switzerland and Egypt. The film supports the cause for women’s freedom and equality around the world.