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Latifa is a fighting heart
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Latifa is a fighting heart
The history of Latifa Ibn Ziaten, it’s about a young girl from Tetouan, dreamful, that crosses the Mediterranean Sea in the 70ies to live in France.
After thirty years, her son Imad, French military, was killed by Mohammed Merah. Both were born in France for a migrant parent, both are Muslims, but with opposite destinies: Imad was killed because he represented France and a successful integration, while Merah felt excluded and attempted to destroy France.
For Latifa everything suddenly breaks down: her life, her optimal “living-together” and her vision of the french society. However rather than giving up on imagining these ideals, Latifa decided to achieve this dream despite her pain as a mother. She went to meet others, in France and in Morocco, in order to convince them that this dream is still meaningful and that it concerns them all. To give love and to face hatred.
On 11 March 2012, Latifa Ibn Ziaten’s life has changed: her son Imad, military in the French paratroopers, felled by bullets of unknow yet killer: Mohammed Merah.
On 22 March, Merah was killed in his apartment by the GIGN “the elite police tactical unit of the French National Gendarmerie”. Meanwhile two soldiers were killed in Montauban. Then three youth children and a father in a courtyard of the Jewish school of Toulous.
Merah was a one of the new jihadism generation, Imad the son of Latifa was the first victim.
In attempt of understanding this unbearable gesture, Latifa went after number of weeks to the city where Merah grown up, but this is a new chock: she who had educated her 5 children in the ideals of republic – freedom, equality, fraternity – she discovered a ghetto city where Merah was considered the martyr of Islam where youth have lost all illusion and the jihadism lived a revolt mode. Thus, in attempt to avoid “another” Merah, Latifa started to furrow France, the schools, prisons meeting youth.
After thirty years, her son Imad, French military, was killed by Mohammed Merah. Both were born in France for a migrant parent, both are Muslims, but with opposite destinies: Imad was killed because he represented France and a successful integration, while Merah felt excluded and attempted to destroy France.
For Latifa everything suddenly breaks down: her life, her optimal “living-together” and her vision of the french society. However rather than giving up on imagining these ideals, Latifa decided to achieve this dream despite her pain as a mother. She went to meet others, in France and in Morocco, in order to convince them that this dream is still meaningful and that it concerns them all. To give love and to face hatred.
On 11 March 2012, Latifa Ibn Ziaten’s life has changed: her son Imad, military in the French paratroopers, felled by bullets of unknow yet killer: Mohammed Merah.
On 22 March, Merah was killed in his apartment by the GIGN “the elite police tactical unit of the French National Gendarmerie”. Meanwhile two soldiers were killed in Montauban. Then three youth children and a father in a courtyard of the Jewish school of Toulous.
Merah was a one of the new jihadism generation, Imad the son of Latifa was the first victim.
In attempt of understanding this unbearable gesture, Latifa went after number of weeks to the city where Merah grown up, but this is a new chock: she who had educated her 5 children in the ideals of republic – freedom, equality, fraternity – she discovered a ghetto city where Merah was considered the martyr of Islam where youth have lost all illusion and the jihadism lived a revolt mode. Thus, in attempt to avoid “another” Merah, Latifa started to furrow France, the schools, prisons meeting youth.
The history of Latifa Ibn Ziaten, it’s about a young girl from Tetouan, dreamful, that crosses the Mediterranean Sea in the 70ies to live in France.
After thirty years, her son Imad, French military, was killed by Mohammed Merah. Both were born in France for a migrant parent, both are Muslims, but with opposite destinies: Imad was killed because he represented France and a successful integration, while Merah felt excluded and attempted to destroy France.
For Latifa everything suddenly breaks down: her life, her optimal “living-together” and her vision of the french society. However rather than giving up on imagining these ideals, Latifa decided to achieve this dream despite her pain as a mother. She went to meet others, in France and in Morocco, in order to convince them that this dream is still meaningful and that it concerns them all. To give love and to face hatred.
After thirty years, her son Imad, French military, was killed by Mohammed Merah. Both were born in France for a migrant parent, both are Muslims, but with opposite destinies: Imad was killed because he represented France and a successful integration, while Merah felt excluded and attempted to destroy France.
For Latifa everything suddenly breaks down: her life, her optimal “living-together” and her vision of the french society. However rather than giving up on imagining these ideals, Latifa decided to achieve this dream despite her pain as a mother. She went to meet others, in France and in Morocco, in order to convince them that this dream is still meaningful and that it concerns them all. To give love and to face hatred.
On 11 March 2012, Latifa Ibn Ziaten’s life has changed: her son Imad, military in the French paratroopers, felled by bullets of unknow yet killer: Mohammed Merah.
On 22 March, Merah was killed in his apartment by the GIGN “the elite police tactical unit of the French National Gendarmerie”. Meanwhile two soldiers were killed in Montauban. Then three youth children and a father in a courtyard of the Jewish school of Toulous.
Merah was a one of the new jihadism generation, Imad the son of Latifa was the first victim.
In attempt of understanding this unbearable gesture, Latifa went after number of weeks to the city where Merah grown up, but this is a new chock: she who had educated her 5 children in the ideals of republic – freedom, equality, fraternity – she discovered a ghetto city where Merah was considered the martyr of Islam where youth have lost all illusion and the jihadism lived a revolt mode. Thus, in attempt to avoid “another” Merah, Latifa started to furrow France, the schools, prisons meeting youth.
On 22 March, Merah was killed in his apartment by the GIGN “the elite police tactical unit of the French National Gendarmerie”. Meanwhile two soldiers were killed in Montauban. Then three youth children and a father in a courtyard of the Jewish school of Toulous.
Merah was a one of the new jihadism generation, Imad the son of Latifa was the first victim.
In attempt of understanding this unbearable gesture, Latifa went after number of weeks to the city where Merah grown up, but this is a new chock: she who had educated her 5 children in the ideals of republic – freedom, equality, fraternity – she discovered a ghetto city where Merah was considered the martyr of Islam where youth have lost all illusion and the jihadism lived a revolt mode. Thus, in attempt to avoid “another” Merah, Latifa started to furrow France, the schools, prisons meeting youth.
Over and over, she meets her son’s story and her own: over and over, she tries to convince them that if the republic failed, she is still a good model that each one should appropriate to get up and to ward of barbarism. Over and over, Latifa tries to reencourage this generation of immigration that feels banned by the society.
With calmness and will, Latifa speaks and consults. but she does not hesitate to put everyone in front of their own responsibilities: a youth that she understands and collects his pain, but encourages him and rolls up his sleeves to get out of it, a political class she pushes to live up to the republican ideal she wants to defend.
Latifa Ibn Ziaten shakes all the representations: cantor of secularism while wearing a headscarf, a Moroccan woman that became the symbol of the french republic, a wounded mother that chose to make of her own pain a battle in serving others. Her destiny is as singular as her battle is universal.
With calmness and will, Latifa speaks and consults. but she does not hesitate to put everyone in front of their own responsibilities: a youth that she understands and collects his pain, but encourages him and rolls up his sleeves to get out of it, a political class she pushes to live up to the republican ideal she wants to defend.
Latifa Ibn Ziaten shakes all the representations: cantor of secularism while wearing a headscarf, a Moroccan woman that became the symbol of the french republic, a wounded mother that chose to make of her own pain a battle in serving others. Her destiny is as singular as her battle is universal.
Over and over, she meets her son’s story and her own: over and over, she tries to convince them that if the republic failed, she is still a good model that each one should appropriate to get up and to ward of barbarism. Over and over, Latifa tries to reencourage this generation of immigration that feels banned by the society.
Throughout the journey of Latifa, the film tells the story of a disintegration, the failure of public politics among an abandoned generation. The story of a knead France that since a year is witnessing a destruction of this failure.
But this also will be the story of winning back, of an immigrant Moroccan woman that became French, who took a good decision in putting the Republic as a priority ideal, who gave the hope back to a youth that wanted to exist, and only asked for support and for the caring of his elders.
This is the story of a life that must resume its rights, despite the suffering and the pain. Imad was killed standing, refusing to lie down in front of his killer, thus, Latifa can’t permit to surrender. For that the death of her son is not useless, she decided to live and to fight so that it does not happen again. She decided to fight for this dream of France, that received her, fed her, made her happy, but that France did not know how to protect her son, nor its own youth. for this beautiful and generous France, Latifa fights. For herself. She will stand forever.
But this also will be the story of winning back, of an immigrant Moroccan woman that became French, who took a good decision in putting the Republic as a priority ideal, who gave the hope back to a youth that wanted to exist, and only asked for support and for the caring of his elders.
This is the story of a life that must resume its rights, despite the suffering and the pain. Imad was killed standing, refusing to lie down in front of his killer, thus, Latifa can’t permit to surrender. For that the death of her son is not useless, she decided to live and to fight so that it does not happen again. She decided to fight for this dream of France, that received her, fed her, made her happy, but that France did not know how to protect her son, nor its own youth. for this beautiful and generous France, Latifa fights. For herself. She will stand forever.
With calmness and will, Latifa speaks and consults. but she does not hesitate to put everyone in front of their own responsibilities: a youth that she understands and collects his pain, but encourages him and rolls up his sleeves to get out of it, a political class she pushes to live up to the republican ideal she wants to defend.
Latifa Ibn Ziaten shakes all the representations: cantor of secularism while wearing a headscarf, a Moroccan woman that became the symbol of the french republic, a wounded mother that chose to make of her own pain a battle in serving others. Her destiny is as singular as her battle is universal.
Throughout the journey of Latifa, the film tells the story of a disintegration, the failure of public politics among an abandoned generation. The story of a knead France that since a year is witnessing a destruction of this failure.
But this also will be the story of winning back, of an immigrant Moroccan woman that became French, who took a good decision in putting the Republic as a priority ideal, who gave the hope back to a youth that wanted to exist, and only asked for support and for the caring of his elders.
This is the story of a life that must resume its rights, despite the suffering and the pain. Imad was killed standing, refusing to lie down in front of his killer, thus, Latifa can’t permit to surrender. For that the death of her son is not useless, she decided to live and to fight so that it does not happen again. She decided to fight for this dream of France, that received her, fed her, made her happy, but that France did not know how to protect her son, nor its own youth. for this beautiful and generous France, Latifa fights. For herself. She will stand forever.
Latifa Ibn Ziaten shakes all the representations: cantor of secularism while wearing a headscarf, a Moroccan woman that became the symbol of the french republic, a wounded mother that chose to make of her own pain a battle in serving others. Her destiny is as singular as her battle is universal.
Throughout the journey of Latifa, the film tells the story of a disintegration, the failure of public politics among an abandoned generation. The story of a knead France that since a year is witnessing a destruction of this failure.
But this also will be the story of winning back, of an immigrant Moroccan woman that became French, who took a good decision in putting the Republic as a priority ideal, who gave the hope back to a youth that wanted to exist, and only asked for support and for the caring of his elders.
This is the story of a life that must resume its rights, despite the suffering and the pain. Imad was killed standing, refusing to lie down in front of his killer, thus, Latifa can’t permit to surrender. For that the death of her son is not useless, she decided to live and to fight so that it does not happen again. She decided to fight for this dream of France, that received her, fed her, made her happy, but that France did not know how to protect her son, nor its own youth. for this beautiful and generous France, Latifa fights. For herself. She will stand forever.