La petite dernière

Seventeen-year-old Fatima grows up as the youngest of three sisters in a caring French-Algerian family on the outskirts of Paris. Muslim faith shapes her daily life. Yet she finds it increasingly difficult to hide that her heart is drawn to women. Caught between family traditions and a longing for personal freedom, Fatima searches for her own path. When she begins her studies, an entirely new world opens up to her – and her inner conflict comes into sharper focus: how can she remain true to herself when different parts of her identity seem irreconcilable?

Screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, «La petite dernière» is a vibrant portrait of a young woman in search of herself. Actress Hafsia Herzi also impresses as director with her adaptation of the autobiographical cult novel by Fatima Daas. With great sensitivity, Herzi weaves together social tensions, inherited beliefs and awakening desires – carried by the nuanced performance of newcomer Nadia Melliti, who was awarded Best Actress at Cannes.