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Hafsia Herzi’s La Petite Dernière Opens in French Theaters After Cannes Acting Win

Critics hail Herzi’s third feature, a tender adaptation of Fatima Daas’s autobiographical novel led by street‑discovered newcomer Nadia Melliti.

Overview

  • The film begins its theatrical run in France on Wednesday following a high‑profile festival circuit that included Cannes competition.
  • Nadia Melliti, 23, makes her screen debut as Fatima and won CannesBest Actress after being discovered in a street casting.
  • Adapted from Fatima Daas’s autobiographical novel, the story traces a young Muslim woman in the banlieue as she gradually accepts her homosexuality.
  • Reviews from Télérama and France Inter praise the film’s intensity, the precision of Herzi’s direction, and Melliti’s breakthrough performance.
  • The release marks a new step in Herzi’s evolution from celebrated actor to acclaimed director after Tu mérites un amour (2019) and Bonne mère (2021).