BEST OF FESTS

LA PETITE DERNIÈRE

2025 / 106 min / color

17-year-old Fatima (Nadia Melliti, winner of the Best Actress award at Cannes for this role) is the youngest of three daughters in a French-Algerian family living in the suburbs of Paris. A model student, she has just begun studying philosophy, which has opened a new chapter of friendships, dating, and generally enjoying her life. But her reality is a constant balancing act: she’s loyal to her Muslim faith and her loving, conservative family, but she increasingly feels an attraction to women, which she fears is unacceptable to her loved ones. She gets on a dating app and begins to explore her sexuality, discover her own needs, and navigate her identity – particularly when she gets into a relationship with Ji-Na (Ji-min Park), a Korean nurse. This bond brings Fatima both joy and pain, ultimately bringing her a deeper level of self-understanding.

Directed by acclaimed French actress Hafsia Herzi, the film is a subtle and moving portrait of a young woman entering adulthood and forging her identity. Screened in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival, The Little Sister was honored with both the Best Actress award and the Queer Palm.

• Cannes IFF – Best Actress (Nadia Melliti), Queer Palm
• Lumiere Awards – Most Promising Actress (Nadia Melliti)