Watch I Still Hide to Smoke

I Still Hide to Smoke is a thought-provoking drama film about three Algerian women who are escaping the oppressive patriarchal society in their homeland for a few hours every day. The movie was directed by Rayhana and hit the screens in 2016. It stars renowned actresses Hiam Abbass, Fadila Belkebla, and Nadia Kaci in the lead roles.

The movie is set in the 1990s in the backdrop of the Algerian Civil War. The story follows the lives of three women who work in a public hammam in Algiers. While they perform their daily duties, they also secretly gather to smoke cigarettes and talk about their problems. They use this as a temporary escape from their routine lives where they are forced to follow strict patriarchal rules.

Fatima (Hiam Abbass), a mistress of the hammam, is the mediator between the women. She is a highly respected figure in her community but is haunted by her past. She is a widow and her only daughter has moved to France. She often contemplates leaving Algeria to reunite with her daughter, but deep down, she knows that her roots are too strong to allow her to do so.

Aicha (Fadila Belkebla) is a younger woman who works alongside Fatima at the hammam. She has an abusive husband who takes her earnings from work and spends it on drugs. Aicha is distressed by her situation but never raises her voice. Instead, she finds solace in smoking and talking with her fellow women.

Samia (Nadia Kaci) is the newest member of the trio. She is a student who has left her family in search of freedom. She is disguised as a boy and chooses to work at the hammam as it provides her a shelter. As time progresses, Samia realizes that her gender has put her in a more vulnerable position than she imagined. She finds comfort in the company of Fatima and Aicha and begins to open up to them.

Although the women come from different backgrounds and age groups, their desire for a life outside the shackles of tradition establishes a strong bond between them. They share their dreams and fears, and provide each other with emotional support.

The hammam also serves as a microcosm of Algerian society. The women encounter various characters, including an extremist who is disgusted by their smoking, a prostitute who is treated as the outcast, and a woman who is stripped of her agency due to societal pressures. The movie explores the themes of identity, sexuality, freedom, oppression, and sisterhood through the eyes of these characters.

The movie is a subtle commentary on the state of women in Algeria during the 1990s. It showcases the stark contrast between the public and private lives of women where one is an embodiment of cultural norms, and the other is a space to indulge in 'vices.' The movie also highlights the issue of religious extremism and its impact on women's lives in Algeria.

The cinematography and score of the movie are notable. The film is shot in a way that captures the essence of the hammam in a realistic yet poetic manner. The lighting and colors help establish a mood that matches the tone of the film. The music adds to the ambiance of the movie without being distracting.

Overall, I Still Hide to Smoke is a powerful film that showcases the reality of life for women in Algeria during the 1990s. The movie has won several awards and has received critical acclaim for its portrayal of the female experience in Algeria. It is a movie that should be watched to understand the complexity of women's lives in patriarchal societies.

I Still Hide to Smoke is a 2017 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 30 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.1.