Saturday, April 12, 2025, the L’Artistique hall in Nice was filled with emotion and poignant stories during the screening of the documentary *Our Mothers, Our Daronnes*, directed by Bouchera Azzouz.
Through the journeys of four women, this film pays tribute to those who, in the shadows, have shaped our society with their resilience and thirst for freedom. These “daronnes,” a popular term for mothers but also family pillars, embody popular feminism. Far from grand platforms, they fought their battles in their daily lives, sometimes silently, but always with determination. The documentary traces their struggles against oppression, their desire to emancipate themselves through art, painting, or cinema, and the winding paths they took to free themselves from patriarchal norms.
One of them secretly fled the family home. Another believed that marriage would pave the way to freedom, only to discover different chains. Each recounts a [past where women had to remain silent](https://www.nicepremium.fr/societe/50-ans-apres-la-loi-veil-toujours-au-coeur-des-droits-des-femmes/), to erase themselves. Yet, they raised their heads, asserted their right to exist differently, inadvertently becoming role models.
## An encounter, testimonies
The screening was followed by an intense exchange with the audience, in the presence of the sub-prefect, the deputy mayor, Maty Djouf, and one of the four protagonists of the documentary. The visibly moved spectators spoke up to ask questions, share personal testimonies, and express how much this film “represented” and “concerned” them.
This initiative does more than just showcase: it aims to raise awareness. It reminds us that equality is not guaranteed and that the memory of past struggles is essential for building the future.
## Emancipation in drips and drabs
*Our Mothers, Our Daronnes* emphasizes that emancipation can be slow, sometimes invisible, but it leaves indelible traces. Through simple gestures, courageous choices, these women have shaken traditions, gained independence, and changed, in their own way, the Republic.
*”Women are the invisible architects of our society,”* asserts the film. And this Saturday, in Nice, their voices were heard.