Programs

The Different Faces of Polygamy

Jean-François lives with Annie and Karine, and would like to enter into civil partnership with both of them. However, in Canada, polygamy is outlawed. So he has allied with Muslims and Mormons in a bid to change federal law and gain recognition for polygamous marriage. In the USA, 50, 000 people live in polygamous families, most in Utah. Pass through Colorado City, the heart of this fundamentalist group and get taken on a ’Polygamy Tour’ of the area. We spend time living with a typical mormon family and look a the case of Warren Jeffs, the infamous mormon felon with 70 wives.

In France, over 20,000 families are living in a state of polygamy – the majority of them Muslims of North African descent. In some districts, mayors admit that rights to religious freedom and privacy mean they are powerless to prevent polygamy. However, the law takes a tough stance when some families use polygamy as a guise to obtain family allowances fraudulently. Khadija uses religion to justify having three wives, none of whom knew that they were sharing him. When they found out, they set out to bring him down and we see the drama that is caused by conflicting philosophies.

PRODUCTION INFO

  • Year: 2011
  • Duration: 52 mins
  • Production:
  • Director: Sophie Jeaneau & Ted Anspach
  • Available Versions: FRA
  • Country of production: France