Join the spirited debate at a women’s hair salon before a pivotal election in Tunisia

The small North African nation of Tunisia became the birthplace of the Arab Spring when protests against the dictatorial regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali broke out there in 2010. Ain’t No Time for Women observes the chatter at a hair salon in the capital city of Tunis in the days around a pivotal 2019 presidential election, at a moment when, after a decade of tumult, Tunisia was the Arab Spring’s last remaining democracy. Captured by the Tunisian director Sarra El Abed, the film features a spirited group of women, including El Abed’s grandmother, as they discuss, debate and try to make sense of the slate of 26 candidates vying for the presidency in the first round of votes. The resulting film is a fascinating window into Tunisian society, and especially its women, who come across as frank, funny and bristling with contradictions. Since this short documentary was filmed, Kais Saied, a former jurist and law professor who ran on a reform platform, won the second round of voting and ascended to the presidency. He’s since taken controversial steps to consolidate power, leaving the future of Tunisian democracy deeply uncertain.