The Little Sister
Winner of the Queer Palm, this tender coming-of-age story follows young Fatima as she balances her emerging queer identity with the traditions of Islam.
On Sept. 20, you can see the Bio Rex screenings of The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo and The Little Sister with the combo ticket (25 €/23 €).
Seventeen-year-old Fatima (Nadia Melliti in her debut role) lives in the suburbs of Paris and feels completely lost. Her older sisters, like their mother, are perfectly at home in the kitchen, but Fatima is far more interested in football and smoking—despite her severe asthma. To make matters worse, her conservative, even old-fashioned, boyfriend wants to propose. The problem? Fatima doesn’t even like boys. And how do you explain that to a French Algerian Muslim family in a way that no one ends up getting offended?
University life opens the door to a new and freer world full of unfamiliar possibilities—but first, one must know what one really wants. And even if Fatima does know, how can she remain true to herself? When your identity doesn’t align with the expectations of those around you, conflict and collisions are inevitable. After all, heartfelt prayer and wild nights out are a tough balance to maintain.
Based on Fatima Daas’ autofictional novel The Last One and directed by Hafsia Herzi, The Little Sister deservedly won the best actress award in the Main Competition at Cannes, as well as the Queer Palm for Best Queer Film.
Marko Ylitalo (translated by Pauliina Jännes)