El sghayra

Miss | Die Kleine
The Algerian desert extends in all directions as far as the eye can see. Many years after the French conducted nuclear weapons testing here, few inhabitants remain in the fading oasis. Amidst the dunes, a gleeful girl plays with pieces of junk, watches Chaplin’s silent films and jokes around with the blind residents. She is the community’s only child. On the surface, there’s not much sensory input, but her imagination kindles a sense of vitality.
by Amira Géhanne Khalfallah
with Chams Chakiri, Abdellah Chakiri, Safia Soudani, Abdelhak Eddawli
Algeria / France 2019 Arabic 13’ Colour recommendation: 8 years and up

With

  • Chams Chakiri (The little girl)
  • Abdellah Chakiri (The father)
  • Safia Soudani (The mother)
  • Abdelhak Eddawli (The old blind man)

Crew

Written and Directed by Amira Géhanne Khalfallah
Cinematography Eva Sehet
Editing Youri Tchao Debats
Sound Design Jules Valeur
Sound Ilyas Guettal
Production Design Mehdi Djelil
Costumes Hadjira Tafat
Make-Up Célia Oudni
Assistant Director Tarek Moknache
Production Manager Jaber Debzi
Producer Jaber Debzi
Co-Producer Nathalie Trafford
Co-Production Paraiso Production Diffusion Paris

Produced by

Prolégomènes

Amira Géhanne Khalfallah

The filmmaker, playwright and author was born and grew up in Algeria. She studied cellular and molecular biology before turning to writing. Since 2007, she has lived in Morocco where she has also been working as a culture journalist. After making two short films, she is currently developing her debut feature film.

Filmography (short films)

2018 The Shoe 2019 El sghayra (Miss)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2020