Fatima’s Faith: Hafsia Herzi Lines Up “La Petite Dernière” for 2023

Hafsia Herzi will be setting her sights on her third outing as early as next year. We’ve known Herzi as the face of Abdellatif Kechiche’s The Secret of the Grain (she also appeared in the Mektoub, My Love films) and in Mark Jackson’s last pair of films in War Story and This Teacher, but she has firmly made her place as a filmmaker with two Cannes Film Festival selected films of You Deserve a Lover (2019) and Bonne Mère (2021).

Currently toplining Stéphane Demoustier’s Ibiza (formerly titled Borgo), and with the status of Patricia Mazuy’s Portraits trompeurs unknown, Herzi recently received some coin for La Petite Dernière (back in March) and will likely be going through some extensive casting to find the film’s lead. Naomi Denamur and Julie Billy will be producing via their June Films label (two of Billy’s films in Gagarine and A Chiara just premiered in the US prior to this year’s Cannes). This is based on Fatima Daas’ 2020 novel – here she is below in an interview on her beginnings.

This focuses on Fatima, who is the youngest daughter in a family of Algerian migrants in France. She discovers her love for women, which brings her into conflict with her family, her faith and her own identity.