Les filles d'Olfa
2023 [FRENCH]
Action / Documentary
Plot summary
Between light and darkness stands Olfa, a Tunisian woman and the mother of four daughters. One day, her two older daughters disappear. To fill in their absence, the filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania invites professional actresses and invents a unique cinema experience that will lift the veil on Olfa and her daughters' life stories. An intimate journey of hope, rebellion, violence, transmission and sisterhood that will question the very foundations of our societies.
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 720p.WEB 1080p.WEB 1080p.WEB.x265Movie Reviews
Fusing fact and fiction is a precarious undertaking
This film made me question my views on trauma, loss, abuse and how people deal with it.
Four daughters is a film like no other. Mixing documentary with reenactment of the past with actors is as interesting as it is confusing to watch.
I found the untreated trauma, lack of emotional development and self reflection of Olfa painful to watch, eventhough the film gave a good glance on what life can look like as a victim of generational trauma. I wouldn't say I completely understand her actions but it's clear how her experiences broke her judgement on what's good and bad.
And for the youngest daughters, I very much hope they get the treatment and rest they deserve. Some say the making of the film might have been therapeutic for them, but I highly question that. The point where the male actor stopped the scene on the bed was heartbreaking and made me question whether the makers understood what they were dealing with.
I feel like both Olfa and her daughters - who are adults (looking at their behavior I thought they were younger), are not aware enough of their own trauma to judge whether partaking in such a film is a good thing for them. Same goes for the makers. But then again, the fact that I think that might say more about me and how i view trauma, therapy and personal choice than about them.







