WEBVTT

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LEBLOUH

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FORCE-FEEDING GIRLS

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IN THE NAME OF BEAUTY

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[ Fatimetou
Lelhamel ] Drink, drink.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] This
is how we fatten up women.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] We force
her to drink milk all day long.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] We
don't give her any breaks.

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[ Kjadigetou Elwen, mother ]
She'll become fat quickly

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and will be able to wear
adult female clothes.

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FED TO WED

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[ GEO ] CHINGUETTI,
MAURITANIA’S ANCIENT CAPITAL

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[ GEO ] Nouakchott.
Mauritania’s modern capital

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[ VO ] Heijara and Metou own a
fashion shop here in the capital city.

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[ Girls in the shop ]
This is what we make.

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[ Girls in the shop ]
And this, too.

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[ Girls in the shop ]
We sell this as well.

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[ Girls in the shop ] And
we buy it from Nouakchott.

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[ Girls in the shop ] This
is what we see ourselves.

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[ Girls in the shop ] It's
fashionable at the moment.

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[ Girl 1 ] - That's your style.
[ Girls 2 ] - Yes, it's beautiful.

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[ Girls in the shop ] What's fashionable
depends on the size of the lady.

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[ Girls in the shop ] We made
it with our sewing machine.

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[ VO ] The girls want to expand their business so
they plan to venture further into the country.

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They want to see what's on offer and what's
in demand, in and around the ancient capital.

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[ VO ] Mauritania has been known for centuries in the Arab world
as 'the land of Chinguetti', one of the ancient cities that

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Muslims consider sacred. The United Nations ranks Mauritania as
one of the world’s least developed countries. The Sahara Desert

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takes up most of the country which is about twice the size of
France. But its population is only around three million people,

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that’s less than Paris and its suburbs. Life is hard here in this
isolated society, where old traditions are rigidly maintained.

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[ Heijara ] What standards of
female beauty do we have?

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[ Heijara ] At the moment nobody
pays attention to a woman's body,

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Elegance is what is important.

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[ Heijara Mint Salekelid ] Men have different
tastes in what's beautiful in a woman.

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[ Heijara ] Their tastes differ,

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you see?

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[ Heijara ] Today people
like slim and elegant women.

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[ Heijara ] I am now slim.
I used to be very big.

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[ Heijara ] I didn't
use to look like this.

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[ Heijara ] I was really big!

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[ GEO ] CHINGUETTI,
Mauritania's ancient capital

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] She drinks milk until the afternoon.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] We prepare couscous and she eats it, too.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] For breakfast, we prepare special milk,

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called 'amzik'.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] We churn the milk until butter starts to appear.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] Then we mix that with fresh milk.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ]
And there is...

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a plant extract

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that kills people.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel, grandmother, Leblouh Specialist ] In
the past, it killed many girls who were forced to take it.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] This tree
caused the girls to fatten up overnight.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] - What's it called?
[ someone ] - "Aish"

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] Yes!

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ]
Some who took it died.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] After a girl took
it she had to stay awake for 24 hours.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] Families
forced the girls not to sleep,

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and she gained weight instantly.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] This is her mother.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] The mother of the little girl,

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who's being fed.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] As for my daughter, I want her
to become medium size.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] Neither fat, nor slim.

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[ Tvage Ahmed ] The
girls are being fattened,

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from the age of four.

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[ Tvage Ahmed ] I want
mine to be medium.

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[ Tvage Ahmed ] What do men like?

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[ Tvage Ahmed ] The
Mauritanian men prefer,

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medium sized women.

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[ Tvage Ahmed Salem ] If they see
a thin women they think she’s sick.

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[ Tvage Ahmed ]
But if she is medium,

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they like her.

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[ Tvage Ahmed ] In the
past, they used to say,

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a big woman takes a big place 
in man's heart.’

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[ Tvage Ahmed ] While a slim
girl will only take up a small space.

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[ Tvage Ahmed ] And some Mauritanian
men still believe in this saying.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ]
I have daughters.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ]
Here's one of them.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ]
They married quite young

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as I forced them to
come through "leblouh".

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] This
one married very, very early.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] Leblouh helped
her to get married at a young age.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] - But I'm not married, mum!
[ Kjadigetou Elwen, Mother ] - Yes, you're not married, you're divorced!

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[ Kjadigetou Elwen, Mother ]
You're a cute divorcee!

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[ Kjadigetou Elwen,
Mother ] Bring me the baby!

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] - I'm not going to fatten up my baby!
[ Kjadigetou Elwen, Mother ] - You are free to do what you want.

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[ VO ] As beauties from the capital, Heijara
and Metou are honoured guests at this party

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where a concert will be the main event.
This is where people go to see and be seen.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] Here's
how we fatten up the girls.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ]
We force her to drink.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] She
has to drink all day long.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ]
The whole day.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ]
We don't give her a break.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] A special
clamp forces her to keep drinking.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] And
this is an ankle bracelet,

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which she'll receive 
when she is fat.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] When she
is fat and she wears this bracelet,

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she will be a beautiful woman.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ]
When she is fat,

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we'll see stretch marks on her body.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ] We have a comb
for massaging that hides these marks.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ]
We roll it, like this.

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[ Fatimetou Lelhamel ]
That's what we do.

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] I don't like
thin women. Who likes them?

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[ Mohamed Elwen, grandfather ]
Real woman should be big and tranquil.

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] Real
woman is a big woman.

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] These
slim women are too light.

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] On the
other hand big women are good.

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[ Mohamed Elwen ]
These slim women...

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] Whatever!

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[ Mohamed Elwen ]
These slim girls...

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] I don't know
how they can live their lives!

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] I don't
want to speak about them!

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] But today
they have their admirers.

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] I don't know...

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[ Mohamed Elwen ]
Why do they like them?

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] What for?

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] A long time ago,

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men only looked for fat women.

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] But
nowadays, I don't understand it...

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[ Mohamed Elwen ]
I really don't know.

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] A long time
ago, people used to fatten up girls.

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] All people knew,

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in which families the girls 
were being fattened up,

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[ Mohamed Elwen ] and who
they were being fattened up for...

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[ Mohamed Elwen ]
Today I really don't know,

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what they like in this generation.

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[ VO ] Heijara and Metuo
have lingered to rest

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in this small village,
just off the main road.

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[ Mint Ali ] When a girl's family wants
to make her fat, they give her milk.

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[ Mint Ali ] That's what they
give her to fatten her up.

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[ Mint Ali ] If there's no milk,

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they give her other things,

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like cooked lamb.

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[ Makfoule Mint Ali ] But now
the children like only canned milk,

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and juices.

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[ Mint Ali ] They don't
like other things.

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[ Mint Ali ] Women used
to plait their hair differently.

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[ Mint Ali ] They'd plait
their hair and put on beads.

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[ Mint Ali ] They painted themselves
with henna and wore a traditional scarf.

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[ Mint Ali ] They
were very beautiful.

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[ Mint Ali ] But they
don't do this any longer.

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[ Mint Ali ] Now the women
keep their hair loose.

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[ Mint Ali ] Fat
women were better.

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[ Mint Ali ] Today, being
fat isn't considered nice.

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[ Mint Ali ] Now
it's the opposite.

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[ Mint Ali ] Now no one
wants a fat woman.

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[ Mint Ali ] No one.

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[ Mint Ali ] Come here, Khadija!

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[ Mint Ali ] I think that
television and radio

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are causing
these changes.

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[ VO ] There are no fashion magazines
in Mauritania but girls are able

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to tune into what’s in vogue
around the world using the Internet.

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[ Heijara And Girls ] I
like this woman's style.

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[ Heijara And Girls ]
She's beautiful.

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[ Heijara And Girls ]
Beautiful like a sapphire.

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[ Heijara Mint Salekelid ]
I didn't like this market.

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[ Heijara Mint Salekelid ]
Ours are better.

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[ Mint Elhacen ] We
started our business late,

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[ Aminetou Mint Elhacen,
leblouh Specialist ]

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as there's been very
little rain in this city.

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[ Mint Elhacen ] I take
the girls from seven,

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eight even nine years old.

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[ Mint Elhacen ] The
youngest that I take

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[ Mint Elhacen ] are from
seven to eight years old.

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[ Mint Elhacen ] And we can
even take a woman of 30.

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[ Mint Elhacen ] We can
even do it with 30-year-olds.

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[ Mint Elhacen ] But
majority of those,

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who are to get married, are young.

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[ Mint Elhacen ] You say people
don't like Leblouh anymore?

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[ Mint Elhacen ] But there are
still families who have daughters,

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that are too thin.

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[ Mint Elhacen ] They
come to me to for help.

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[ Aminetou Mint Elhacen, Her Son And Sister ]
We are the opposite of your film crew.

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[ Aminetou Mint Elhacen, Her Son And Sister ]
The men in your world like slim women.

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[ Mint Elhacen ] We like only fat women.

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[ Mint Elhacen ] Here in Mauritania,

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we like fat women.

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[ Mint Elhacen ] Big women are good,

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to make love with.

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[ Aminetou Mint Elhacen, Her
Son And Sister ] Better for love.

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[ Amenetou’s Sister ] I don't
like force-feeding girls anymore.

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[ Amenetou’s Sister ] I've
heard it causes illness.

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[ Amenetou’s Sister ] Why?
Do you watch a lot of TV?

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[ Amenetou’s Sister ]
No, I don't watch TV.

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[ Amenetou’s Sister ] I
don't know what it shows.

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[ Amenetou’s Sister ]
I don't watch it.

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[ Amenetou’s Sister ] I don't.

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[ Amenetou’s Sister ]
Now I prefer sporty people.

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Look at me! I can't
even move properly!

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[ Aminetou’s Son ] Our
society doesn't like sports.

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[ Aminetou’s Son ] When
you're young you want to be fat.

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[ Aminetou’s Son ] But when you're
older you become weak and tired.

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[ Aminetou’s Son ] And
you wish you were slim!

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[ Aminetou’s Son ] Fat
women are also expensive!

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[ Aminetou’s Son ] They eat a
lot. But slim women eat little.

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[ Aminetou’s Son ] Fat women
need two litres of milk daily,

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but slim girls just need a small glass.

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[ Aminetou’s Son ] Fat women
need a lot of meat, a lot of bread...

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while slim girls only need
 a small piece of bread,

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and it's enough for her!

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[ VO ] This is Heijara and Metuo’s first
time in the ancient city of Chinguetti.

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[ VO ] They’re enjoying the
opportunity to go shopping.

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The Leblouh tradition
doesn't exist anymore,

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I've lived in
Chinguetti for 11 years,

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and never heard about it.

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[ Older Woman and Man ] Where
did you have leblouh? In Chinguetti?

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[ Older Woman and Man ]
Yes, here, in this district.

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[ Older Woman ] She
ate a lot of couscous,

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and drank plenty of milk.

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[ Older Woman ] They'd fill up
a big glass and make her drink.

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[ Older Woman ] They forced her by
squeezing her toes with two sticks.

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[ Older Woman ] My
mother fatted me up, too.

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[ Older Woman ] She wanted
me to marry quickly but I didn't.

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[ Mohamed Elwen ]
Hello! How are you doing?

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[ GEO ] NOUAKCHOTT,
MAURITANIA'S MODERN CAPITAL

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[ VO ] Our heroines are back with their
daughters in Nouakchott. They claim to have

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gained a couple of kilos in weight during
their trip, so it's time for a day of fasting.

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[ Heijara Mint Salekelid ] If you want to
eat something but don't want to get fat,

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[ Heijara Mint Salekelid ]
you should prepare this.

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[ Heijara Mint Salekelid ]
Instead of lunch.

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[ Heijara Mint Salekelid ]
We call it 'djisha'.

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[ Heijara Mint Salekelid ]
We use it to lose weight,

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Women should have it for lunch,

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and breakfast.

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[ Heijara Mint Salekelid ] We use
it during the day to lose weight.

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[ VO ] The baby’s girl family does not believe
that the fashion for overweight women will

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end. They hope she will weigh at least 100
kg by the time she reaches marriageable age.