Writer-director Philippe Faucon’s long-running project of making films
about those members of the French population traditionally left off-screen
reaches a state of grace in Fatima, perfectly balancing sharp observation
of the harsh realities of the immigrant experience with an inspiring story of
individual resilience. Fatima is a middle-aged, divorced Algerian woman living
in a French suburb, cleaning houses and offices from dawn to dusk to provide
her spirited teenage daughters with a better future. It takes a workplace
accident for Fatima to finally pay attention to her own needs and discover a
powerful means of expressing them through poetry. Working with tremendous
economy, Faucon brings the eye of an anthropologist and the feeling of a
true artist to a story that touches on a variety of essential issues: everyday
racism, illiteracy, the challenges of the French university system, and the
clash between traditional, older immigrant generations and their assimilating
children. Loosely based on a true story and featuring a superbly crafted, stoic
performance by real-life cleaning lady Soria Zeroual, Fatima was awarded the
French film industry’s two highest distinctions for 2015, the Prix Louis Delluc
and the César for best film of the year.

Credits & Trailer:

DIRECTOR
Philippe Faucon

SCREENPLAY
Philippe Faucon, Aziza Boudjellal,
Mustapha Kharmoudi, Yasmina
Nini-Faucon, Fatima Elayoubi

CAST
Chawki Amari
Kenza Noah Aiche
Zita Hanrot
Soria Zeroual

DETAILS
Drama
French & Arabic
79 min.
France, 2016