LES LESSIVEUSES

They sort, wash, hang out to dry, iron, perfume, fold and put away, and when it is all finished, they start over again. They all do the washing for their sons who have been in prison for years. Three women, three mothers... Mirroring them are three men, three instrumentalists... The point of departure for this first opera by Thierry Machuel (b.1962, Grand Prix des Lycéens 2011) was the eponymous film directed by Yamina Zoutat about prisoners' mothers, these 'washerwomen' whose maternal instincts are confronted with the alienation of prison.

Duration / 1 h 19