FATIMA

| 2016 – 79′ – Drama –
Written and Directed by Philippe Faucon.
Starring Soria Zeroual, Zita Hanrot, Kenza-Noah Aïche, Chawki Amari, Isabelle Candelier.
Official Competition COLCOA 2016 (Winner LAFCA Special Mention), Winner 3 Cesar Awards including Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.
In French and Arabic with English subtitles.
A Kino Lorber release |

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This perceptive celebration of a resilient immigrant mother of two working as a house cleaner in Lyon, cleaned up at the 2016 César Awards, taking prizes for Best Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Most Promising Actress for bright newcomer Zita Hanrot. Adopting a grounded, episodic approach, the film focuses on the challenges of cultural assimilation as seen through the eyes of two generations of women. Fatima is a divorcee holding down several menial jobs. She emigrated from North Africa at 20, but 20 years later, she struggles to speak enough French to communicate with her own daughters Nesrine and Souad, whose lives she is tirelessly devoted to improving. Nesrine is trying to strike a balance between cramming for her pre-med exams and dating, while the younger and more rebellious Souad is testing her limits and her mother’s patience by acting out. Facing veiled racism, suspicion, awkwardness, and shame on a daily basis, Fatima discovers that the perfect outlet for her frustrations is also the best way to tell her daughters how she really feels.