"Leila's Trial" by Charlie Kouka is one of the ten projects selected for the fifteenth session of "La Fabrique Cinéma" organised by the French Institute. It will take place at the Cannes Film Festival from 16 to 27 May.
Synopsis: "Leïla, a young girl of 13, lives in a marginalized and dilapidated neighbourhood in a small Tunisian town, which is in the process of being destroyed. It is a place where religion plays a significant role in the daily life of the inhabitants. After performing miracles, Leïla is labelled with several labels by those around her: is she a witch or a saint? Can this strange girl really save the neighbourhood?"
"La Fabrique Cinéma" is a programme developed by the French Institute in collaboration with several media, the Sacem and the International Organisation of La Francophonie to promote the emergence of young filmmakers from southern countries on the international market.
Among the Arab films selected are also :
- "Pigeon Wars" by Dania Bdeir (Lebanon)
- "Moonblind" by Nada Riyadh (Egypt).