Papicha

From The Distrib Films Collection

Directed by Mounia Meddour

108 minutes / Color
French; Arabic / English subtitles
Release: 2019
Copyright: 2018

Set in Algeria in the 1990's, Nedjma (Lyna Khoudri, The French Dispatch), is an 18 year-old student passionate about fashion design who refuses to let the tragic events of the Algerian Civil War keep her from experiencing a normal life and going out at night with her friends. As the social climate becomes more conservative, she rejects the new bans set by the radicals and decides to fight for her independence by putting on a fashion show.

“The emotions are there in every claustrophobic camera angle, in thriller-tinged scenes that show female self-expression being denied and muffled both by enemies and so-called friends.” —Screen International

“Harrowing.” —Hollywood Reporter

“Bursting with energy.” —Variety

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Select Accolades

  • Festival de Cannes 2019 – Un Certain Regard
  • AMPAS Gold Fellowship Award for Woman
  • Humanitarian Award at the 2020 Satellite Awards

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