Social Contexts –

Filmed in the rural community of Kumba Town, Cameroon, which is relatively poor and underdeveloped, the position of women is viewed patriarchally by the men, who through examples regard them as property. This view is often repeated in the documentary due to the large Islam community. Apart of Islam, the sharia law – the belief that women’s rights and freedoms are guided by a male guardian, is used particularly by the men seen in the court against women who wish for their own independence. Despite laws within Cameroon legislating for equality of gender, followers of Islam, use the Sharia Law in their arguments.

Within Cameroon the rights and freedoms of children can be seen as precarious, this can be seen with, Manka, a child who was taken out of Nursery to help assist her Aunty in work, due to the naivety of her age she is beaten for not working well enough. Despite schools being compulsory in Cameroon up till the age of 14, everything such as uniform, books, etc must be paid for, as a result it is often scene that within Family’s boys are sent to school first than girls, from this is what perpetuated women’s interests for opportunity and financial independence. With a Female Judge this challenges the typical traditional views held by men, with a women in this position this also may remove the traditional bias of verdicts made.

Production (Economic) Contexts –

During production, Ayisi and Longinotto were supported by the non-profit media organisation ‘Women Make Movies’, through workshops on teaching women how to make films. Distributing Sisters in law, Women Make Movies this aimed promoted their aims of supporting filmmaking by female directors who chose to bring light to themes about woman globally. As a result this has supported other works by Kim Longinotto. How the choice of location came about was from a visit to Kumba Town, which is Florence Ayisis’s home town. Originally the documentary’s focus was going to be about the police.