Film guide 2019
Papicha
Friendship, fashion and the fight for independence in 1990s Algiers.
- Original title
- Papicha
- Director
- Mounia Meddour
- Year
- 2019
Editorial profile. Availability on LAREINE TV has not been confirmed.
Story, without spoilers
Student Nedjma wants to design clothes. As violence and restrictions close in, she gathers her friends around a fashion show. Their creative project becomes a way of defending the freedom to choose their own lives.
Context & recognition
Mounia Meddour draws on memories of student life while also inventing elements of the story. Selected for Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2019, Papicha won the 2020 César for Best First Film; Lyna Khoudri won Most Promising Actress.
Main characters & cast
Nedjma
Lyna Khoudri
Student and aspiring fashion designer.
Wassila
Shirine Boutella
Nedjma’s best friend.
Samira
Amira Hilda Douaouda
A friend who encourages Nedjma to continue.
Kahina
Zahra Doumandji
A friend who dreams of Canada.
