Samia

A powerful depiction of the conflicts that emerge when cultures collide, Philippe Faucon's SAMIA tells the story of a young female immigrant who is unable to find peace and contentment in her life, at home or in public. Samia (Lynda Benahouda) is a pretty Algerian teenager whose family has settled in the French city of Marseilles. Her ailing father, strict mother, and overbearing brother, Yacine (Mohamed Chaouch), struggle to uphold the rigid codes of their former culture and Muslim religion, but find it difficult when thrust against the looser environment of their new, modern city. One sister has even run away from home after falling in love with a non-Algerian, fearful of her brother's wrath. Stuck in the middle of all this confusion and turmoil is Samia, who embraces the French way of life, yet confronts racism whenever she steps onto a bus. A seemingly endless onslaught of contradictions--namely, feeling like an outsider at every single moment--confuse Samia to the point that she is almost unable to find a release for her bottled up aggression. She must continue to live her life, waiting for a solution to her troubles, which never seems to come. Faucon's film is a relentless glimpse into a rarely seen world, featuring a ferocious performance by newcomer Benahouda. (official distributor synopsis)