Tunisian Film Four Daughters Has Been Nominated For An Oscar
The documentary, which counts Hend Sabry as part of its cast, has been nominated for an Academy Award
Set to take place on March 11, the 96th edition of the Oscars has already made headlines worldwide as nominees for the prestigious award released recently. And among the many notable contenders is the Tunisian film Four Daughters (in Arabic Banat Olfa), which has joined the list for Best Documentary Feature film, alongside films The Etrenal Memory, Bobi Wine: The People’s President, 20 Days in Mariupol, and To Kill a Tiger.
Here’s everything Bazaar Arabia knows about the groundbreaking film, Hend Sabry’s role, and the nomination.
Four Daughters Has Been Nominated For An Oscar
It’s no wonder the documentary caught the attention of the Oscars, having already been nominated for various awards and film festivals, including several categories at the Cannes Film Festival, winning Best Documentary. The film has been written and directed by Academy Award nominee Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, the only Arab woman to hold two Oscar nominations and the director of The Man Who Sold His Skin.
In Four Daughters, Kaouther tells the story of Olfa Hamroun and her four daughters, two of whom left home after becoming radicalised by extremists. With only her two youngest daughters, Eya and Tayssir, still living in the family home, the trio reminisces about their past and the present they now live without their sisters Ghofrane and Rahma.
As the women recreate memories of their old lives, professional actors Ichraq Matar and Nour Karoui act as proxies to their sisters Ghofrane and Rahma respectively. Famed Tunisian-Egyptian actor Hend Sabry takes the role of Olfa when certain memories get too difficult for the mother to reenact and revisit.
The film lives in between the boundaries of documentary and fiction, with the actors interacting freely with the family at times, asking questions, and taking an active role in recounting the history. In the scenes where Hend portrays Olfa, the mother can be seen in the background sometimes and might even interfere to point out a mistake in the retelling.
In recent years, Hend has grown from a regional sensation to an international star. In May of last year, she signed with the Hollywood talent agency CAA. The actor has also taken on a more pivotal role in the film industry as she branched out into producing and we for one cannot wait for what’s to come.
Lead image courtesy of Instagram/KaoutherBenHania