Algeria, 1990s. Nedjma, an 18 year-old student passionate about fashion design refuses to let the tragic events of the Algerian Civil War to keep her from experiencing a normal life and going out at night with her friend Wassila. As the social climate becomes more conservative, she rejects the new bans set by the radicals and decides to fight for her freedom and independence by putting on a fashion show.

Awards

César Award for Best First Feature Film (2020)

César Award for Most Promising Actress – Lyna Khoudri (2020)

International Press Academy, Humanitarian Award (2020)

New York Times Critic’s Pick

“Marked by a fierce vitality and vivid emotional authenticity, “Papicha” thrives on the heat of Nedjma’s anger and the glorious bond among the mostly young female performers…And by making powerful visual choices…the director and her cinematographer, Léo Lefèvre, forge a language of rebellion that’s as beautiful as it is bitter.”  

Jeannette Catsoulis

New York Times