Among the films selected in official competition from the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, we find “Les Filles d’Olffa” by the Tunisian Kaouther Ben Hania.
The Cannes Film Festival, which will be held from May 16 to 27, 2023, announced its official selection for its 76th edition during a press conference held this morning, Thursday April 13, by Iris KnoBloch the new president, and Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the festival.
Among the films selected in official competition, we find that of Kaouther Ben Hania, who had already presented his films Beauty and pack In the Un certain Look section in 2017 And The Challat of Tunis In the ACID section in 2014. Kaouther Ben Hania had also been president of the Jury of the Critics Week in Cannes in May 2022 And Member of the jury of short films and the Cinéfine School Films Competition in 2021. This year is Olffa’s girlsa creation documentary at the edge of fiction, which will be in official competition.
Lasting 100 minutes, this Tunisian film written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania tells the story of Olffa, a Tunisian cleaning lady whose two teenage girls joined the Daesh terrorist organization in Libya and were imprisoned there. Responsible for painful memories, denial, guilt and fear, this documentary follows OLFA for 10 years of her life, from 2010 to 2020, while she tries everything to extradite her daughters so that they are tried in Tunisia.
Olffa’s girlsis announced as a return to the documentary sources of the Tunisian director. A hybrid work that she develops and turns on a mother and her four daughters, two of whom followed their little friends in Libya embrigated by the Islamic State. To fill their absence, the director summons professional actresses and sets up an extraordinary cinema system. The film explores the life of this woman from a cinematographic angle which mixes the documentary and the drama, as if it were a documentary on the film itself. An intimate journey made of hope, rebellion, violence, transmission and sorority which will question the very foundation of our societies.
This selection is historic because it is the first selection of a Tunisian film in this category for fifty years and that it is the first time that a Tunisian director has been in official competition in Cannes. Kaouther Ben Hania is an emblematic figure of Tunisian cinema and her penultimate film, The man who had sold his skinhad been appointed to the Oscar for best international film in 2021 And had won several awards, including the Light Prize for the best international co -production. It was also the first appointment of a Tunisian feature film with the Oscars.
Fifth feature film by Kaouther Ben Hani, Olffa’s girls was co -produced by Nadim Cheikhrouha (Tanit Films) and Habib Attia (Cinétéfilms). It was shot in Tunisia last year and also saw the actress’s participation Hend Sabry. The latter spoke about her joy and her pride in having her film selected in official competition from the Cannes Film Festival and returning to this festival, in which she had participated for the first time in 1994, with the film The Silences of the Palace From Moufida Tlatli, in competition in the “The Directors’ Fortnight” section, where he had won the gold camera.
The casting of the film counts Olfa Hamrouni, Eya Chikahoui, Tayssir Chikhaoui, Hend Sabri, Nour Karoui, Ichraq Matar and Majd Mastoura.
With Olffa’s girlsKaouther Ben Hania tirelessly continues her quest to give a voice to the stories of Tunisian women. Not only through the stories she tells, but also by marking her imprint the major cinematographic events. She thus illustrates as being the first Tunisian woman to make these exploits, thus affirming her place as a pioneer in Tunisian cinema and in the international cinematographic environment.
The presence of the film Olffa’s girls In official competition in Cannes 2023 is therefore eagerly awaited and promises to be a highlight of the festival.
Neïla Driss
