The Little Sister
La petite derniere
Sestrica
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A young Muslim woman struggles to reconcile her blossoming sexuality with her identity and family expectations in Hafsia Herzi's adaptation of Fatima Daas' 2020 novel.

Fatima, 17, the youngest of three daughters, treads carefully as she searches for her own path, grappling with emerging desires. However, there is also an aggressive streak to Fatima, which materializes when a fellow student calls her a lesbian. Starting university in Paris, she explores a whole new world. Inexperienced and unsure in her own ways, she seeks to find her sexual identity through online dating sites where she calls herself "Linda", all the while confronting a timeless and heartrending dilemma: How can one stay true to oneself when reconciling different parts of one's identity feels impossible?

"A heroine of North African descent, a practicing Muslim, living in the suburbs, attracted to women. In that environment, homosexuality is often told through a male perspective, not a feminine one. From my own experience, as a "girl from the projects" growing up in the northern neighbourhoods of Marseille, I've known characters like this. In the projects, it's not easy to be different - and own it. Stereotypes are deeply rooted, and judgement reigns supreme. But this story can't be reduced to one social type - it's completely universal." (Hafsia Herzi)


Talk after Screening
13 Nov at 15:00, Kosovel Hall, KINOTRIP
Section: PANORAMA
Directed by: Hafsia Herzi
Country, year: France, Germany, 2025
Length: 106 minutes
Subtitles: Slovenian
Language: Arabic, French

Screening in cinema:

Thu, 13.11.2025 15:00 Kosovel Hall
Wed, 19.11.2025 18:15 Kinodvor Cinema
Sat, 22.11.2025 21:30 Kinodvor Cinema

VOD service:

Notice
Please note that this film is not available as VOD service.
Screenplay:
Hafsia Herzi, Fatima Daas (roman/novel)
Cinematography:
Jérémie Attard
Music:
Amine Bouhafa
Cast:
Nadia Melliti (Fatima), Park Ji-min (Ji-Na), Amina Ben Mohamed (Kamar), Melissa Guers (Nour), Rita Benmannana (Dounia), Razzak Ridha (Ahmed), Louis Memmi (Benjamin), Waniss Chaouki (Tarik), Anouar Kardellas (Nacer), Joven Etienne (Joven), Madi Dembele (Madi)
Producent:
June Films & Katuh Studio
julie@junefilms.fr
Distribution:
Fivia d.o.o.
cenex@siol.net
Sales:
mk2 films
pauline.maghnaoui@mk2.com
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About director
Born in Manosque, France, in 1987, to a Tunisian father and Algerian mother. She grew up in Marseille and landed her first role at 13 despite never having taken acting classes. Her big acting breakthrough came in 2005: Abdellatif Kechiche offered her the lead role in La Graine et le mulet (Couscous, 2007). In 2019, she made her directorial debut with You Deserve a Lover.
Filmography
2019 Tu mérites un amour (You Deserve a Lover)
2021 Bonne m?re (Good Mother)
2022 La cour (TV)
2025 La petite derni?re (The Little Sister/Sestrica)