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La Petite Dernière’ Opens in French Cinemas After Cannes Best Actress Win

Hafsia Herzi adapts Fatima Daas’s autobiographical novel into a subtle portrait of queer Muslim life in the banlieue.

Overview

  • Theatrical release in France begins Wednesday following the film’s competition slot at the most recent Cannes Film Festival.
  • Nadia Melliti, a first‑time actor discovered on the street with no prior experience, won Cannes’s Best Actress prize for the role.
  • The drama centers on a young Muslim woman from the suburbs as she explores her sexuality without resorting to stereotypes.
  • Early reviews highlight Herzi’s restrained, emotionally precise filmmaking that pushes back against clichés about banlieue heroines.
  • This release extends Herzi’s evolution from celebrated actor to filmmaker, after Tu mérites un amour (2019) and Bonne mère (2021).