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Sweetness in the Belly
By Joyce Slaton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Deeply felt drama about one woman's refugee experience.
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Sweetness in the Belly
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What's the Story?
Adapted from Camilla Gibb's same-named novel, SWEETNESS IN THE BELLY tells the story of Lilly (Dakota Fanning), an Englishwoman who was orphaned at the age of 8 and left at an Ethiopian Sufi shrine, where she grew up studying the Koran. She begins teaching the holy book to young students. She also kindles a romance with Aziz (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a doctor she meets by chance. When the fall of Haile Selassie makes Ethiopia a dangerous place to be, Lilly escapes to England, where she starts working on behalf of Ethiopian immigrants, helping reunite war-torn families.
Is It Any Good?
This deeply felt character study tells a story that viewers haven't seen before -- one that will hit emotional buttons. Fanning is a mesmerizing Lilly: Physically still and given to few words, she nonetheless draws you into the life of this unusual woman, who's as disconnected in her immigrant community in London as she was in Ethiopia. And yet she finds meaningful ways to connect both to others and to her own inner life. We see her working tirelessly to survive and to help those around her who need help even more than she does.
It's easy to root for Lilly, for the downtrodden people who flee a dangerous situation in hopes of a better life, and for the romance that springs up between Lilly and the magnetic Aziz. And the film's visuals are fascinating: women roasting green coffee beans in the morning, a meeting group of politically involved Ethiopian people who get together to chew khat and criticize Haile Selassie on television, lines of women in vibrant veils at the market and on the bus. In less sure hands, Sweetness in the Belly could be all treacle and cringe; instead, it makes you want to live your life like Lilly -- or at least to hang out with her a bit longer.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Sweetness in the Belly portrays the plight of immigrants. How does this depiction compare to that of other films about immigrants? What challenges did Lilly face? How are those challenges different from those of today's immigrants?
The movie explores issues of ethnicity, religion, and gender in Ethiopia and England in the 1970s. How does being of English heritage distinguish Lilly from her Ethiopian friends and neighbors? How often do people mention her "otherness"? How often does she seem to fit in?
How does Lilly demonstrate humility and courage in Sweetness in the Belly? Why are these important character strengths?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: July 7, 2020
- Cast: Dakota Fanning , Yahya Abdul-Mateen II , Kunal Nayyar
- Director: Zeresenay Mehari
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Black actors, Indian/South Asian actors
- Studio: Gravitas Ventures
- Genre: Drama
- Character Strengths: Courage , Humility
- Run time: 110 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: June 20, 2023
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