Netflix: Banned in its country of origin, this film is a gem not to be missed

In French, the term “Papicha” refers to young girls from Algeria. Director Munya Medduri chose this word as the title of his first feature film. It depicts the quest for freedom of several heroines, including Nejma, played by Lina Khudri, in a very specific political context: the Black Decade.

From 1991 to 2002, Algeria’s civil war – which pitted Islamist groups against the military government – claimed more than 150,000 lives. With this project, the filmmaker revives the wounds that have not yet healed, not to awaken the pain of the country, but to fulfill the duty of memory of the new generation.

Mounia Meddour knows this era very well. He lived. “I studied journalism at the university and lived on the university campus, as depicted in the film.he explained to AlloCiné. We shared a room with four or five girls and, above all, we shared daily hopes, happiness, humor, mutual support, cooperation, the sweetness of life, but also worries, because there was oppression..”

It is this oppression that prevents Nejma from living the way she wants. With his passion – fashion – he endangers his safety. Nejma discovers this to his heart’s content: there is a price for acting, fighting, and resisting. Papicha is a political parable, I have no doubt about it. In France, the film found a special response. For the first time at the Cannes Film Festival, where it is presented in the Un Certain Regard section.

It received more than 250,000 viewers in cinemas and, above all, the film won two Césars, the best debut film and the best actress for Lina Khudri – who is revealed to the general public thanks to this role. The only problem: papicha is banned in Algeria.

All the films exist in Algeria thanks to this intelligent side of youth that discovers confusion.

A few days before the national release, the film crew learned of its cancellation.without explanation“. However, Papicha was selected by the Algerian committee to represent the country in the 2020 Oscar race. Without going out, this participation in the Hollywood ceremony became impossible.

It becomes clear that this cancellation is a form of censorship. in essence, Other films depicting the Black Decade also lacked release. Despite everything, Papicha managed to enter the homes of Algerians illegally, as Mounia Meddour explains in the show C à vous on March 14, 2023:

“All the films exist in Algeria thanks to this intelligent side of youth that discovers confusion. It’s the frustration that creates the solutions, and it’s a movie that belongs to them, a movie that they need to reclaim.”

Mounia Meddour’s second film, Houria, focuses on contemporary Algeria and the thorny subject of pardoned terrorists of the Black Decade. Once again, the release of a feature film was banned in the country.

Papicha is available on Netflix until October 8.