Annual Top Films Lists

Top 200 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2023: #178. Mehdi Fikri’s Avant que les flammes ne s’éteignent

Published on January 6, 2023

Avant que les flammes ne s’éteignent

Production took place on Mehdi Fikri‘s directorial debut this past October in Strasbourg, France. A former journalist for L’Humanité, we imagine that Fikri will add several layers of complexity to this oeuvre which is titled Avant que les flammes ne s’éteignent and which translates into… Before the Flames Go Out and formerly went by the title of Et maintenant, le feu. Featuring Camélia Jordana (who toplined Emmanuel Mouret’s Les choses qu’on dit, les choses qu’on fait) and supporting players Sofiane Zermani (Fianso), Sofian Khammes, Sonia Faidi, Samir Guesmi and Makita Samba (from Audiard’s Paris, 13th District), this centers on the aftermath of the crime and will follow the victim’s sister as she embarks on a battle to obtain a fair trial for her late brother, as well as raise media attention around the case. We’re getting some Ladj Ly vibes here. Michael Gentile produced the film.

Gist: This explores the divisions within the victim’s family and the obstacles this young woman on her quest for justice

Release Date/Prediction: Locarno could be swirling around this title, and a Venice sidebar such as Settimana Internazionale della Critica might take a look.

Eric Lavallée

Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist and critic at IONCINEMA.com (founded in 2000). Eric is a regular at Sundance, Cannes and TIFF. He has a BFA in Film Studies at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013 he served as a Narrative Competition Jury Member at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson's This Teacher (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). In 2022 he served as a New Flesh Comp for Best First Feature at the 2022 Fantasia Intl. Film Festival. Current top films for 2022 include Tár (Todd Field), All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen), Aftersun (Charlotte Wells).