Watch Alex's Wedding

Chronicle of a rather particular afternoon during which the lives of three people change dramatically: Alex, the husband, goes to his in-laws to bring home his second wife. Elise, Alex's childhood sweetheart and first wife, accompanies him--as she must, according to tradition. And Josephine, the young bride, leaves her parents to begin a new life. I was concerned about respecting people's choices and didn't want to be accusatory. I positioned myself as an observer, capturing the reality of the event--the official speeches and traditional rituals, as well as the unspoken pain that was palpable throughout the evening. The film presents a ceremony ostensibly in celebration of love, but during which "duty" and "submission" were the preferred words. --Jean-Marie Teno

Alex's Wedding is a documentary with a runtime of 45 minutes.