The Little Sister (2025)

This vivid, soulful Parisian coming-of-age drama charts schoolgirl Fatima’s struggles with sexuality, family and faith in an award-winning debut.

Non-professional star Nadia Melliti wowed last year’s Cannes film festival, bagging Best Actress for her captivating portrayal as the youngest of three sisters living in the Paris suburbs with their Algerian parents. Freely adapted by director Hafsia Herzi from Fatima Daas’s autofiction debut novel, the film sensitively observes the Muslim teen as she navigates religion, family and the transition from school to university while coming to terms with her emerging lesbian sexuality.

Textures of family life, classroom dynamics and the bars and clubs of Paris nightlife are captured by Jérémie Attard’s cinematography, beautifully interwoven with Amine Bouhafa’s vibrant score and Géraldine Mangenot’s superb editing, while Park Ji-min shines as the Korean nurse Fatima falls for on her journey to self-discovery and freedom. Ellie Pole

France/Germany, 2025. Director Hafsia Herzi. Screenplay by Hafsia Herzi from the 2020 novel The Last One by Fatima Daas. With Nadia Melliti, Park Ji-min, Amina Ben Mohamed. 106 mins. Advise 15

Introduced by Ellie Pole.

Presented in association with Jurassic Pride.

Screening sponsored by Margery Bone and Colin Teague.

Screening at BAC
£8.50/£7.50/£6
25-and-under £3
10% off for BAC supporters

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