stay@home-Programm
Film: Papicha (2019)
The film follows young Nedjma in her aspirations to become a fashion designer amindst the Algerian Civil War. While the political climate radicalises, Nedjma follows her path against all odds and makes a claim for women empowerment.
Algeria in the 1990s. During the turmoil of the Civil War, 18-year-old Nedjma resists the sparking tensions of a rapidy changing environment. She envisions to become a dressmaker in her home country despite emerging religio-conservative politics.
The film makes a strong claim for women empowerment in autocratic societies. Despite Papicha's strong political undertone, the film also touches upon individual female fates, and what it means to lose control over one's own destiny. Papicha was previously announced as part of the Basel film festival "Frauenstreik!", which was cancelled due to federal restrictions to ban the spread of the coronavirus.
Read the review of Papicha in The Guardian.