“The girls of Olfa/Four Daughters” among five Arab films selected at the 10th Stockfish Film Festival in Iceland
The film The daughters of Olffa/Four Daughters by Kaouther Ben Hania Continue to capture attention to the world cinematographic scene, with its selection at the Stockfish Film Festival 2024. This event, which is held from April 4 to 14, 2024 in Reykjavík, the Icelandic capital, is a window for the most promising films around the world.
The Stockfish Film Festival is renamed for its eclectic and representative selection of global cinematographic diversity. Among the 27 films selected this year, Olffa’s girls stands out as one of the five representatives of the Arab region. This film, alongside Goodbye Julia of the Sudanese Mohamed Kordofani, The Burdened Yemenite AMR GAMAL, The Teacher of the British-Palestinian Farah Nabulsi, and Bye bye Tiberias From the Franco-Algerian Lina Soualem, testifies to the cultural and artistic richness of the contemporary Arabic cinematographic scene.
The ascent of Olffa’s girls started during his selection in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023, marking thus The return of Tunisian cinema in this category after a remarkable absence since 1970. This passage to Cannes was crowned with success with obtaining four prizes, including the prestigious golden eye for the best documentarytestifying to the talent and vision of Kaouther Ben Hania.
From Cannes, the film has traveled an impressive course through world festivals, collecting prices and praise. Its recognition spread to the 2024 Oscars, where He was shortlisted in two categories : Best international film and best documentary, and named in the latter. Moreover, He was honored by the César 2024 for the best documentary in France, thus strengthening its impact and importance in the international film industry.
The Stockfish Film Festival in Reykjavík is a major event in the Icelandic film landscape, organized in collaboration with the Icelandic Center of Cinematography and the main professional cinema associations. Since its creation in 2015, the festival has established itself as an essential platform for the promotion of art and test cinema, facilitating exchanges between national and international filmmakers.
In addition to film screenings, the festival offers a professional component including masterclasses, discussions and a work in Progress (WIP), thus offering emerging filmmakers a precious opportunity to present their projects and receive constructive feedback. A special event is also planned to discuss Icelandic film policy for the period 2020-2030, highlighting the continuous commitment of the country in favor of the development and promotion of cinema.
The selection of Olffa’s girls At the Stockfish Film Festival 2024 confirms its artistic excellence and its social impact, ensuring it a place among the best productions of the year. Kaouther Ben Hania and her team deserve all the congratulations for this remarkable success.
Neïla Driss
