The Silences of the Palace (Samt el qusur )

Painful memories emerge when singer Alia revisits the palace she fled 10 years earlier. Returning after the death of a nobleman, Alia reconnects with the female servants as stories emerge of their oppression, isolation and sexual exploitation. Recalled too is her coming of age, experienced while a fight for independence rose beyond the palace walls. As the adult Alia faces a new crisis, the recollections spur new understanding on her way forward. In her debut feature as director, Moufida Tlatli, drawing on her extensive editing experience, explores struggles of identity, sexuality and subjugation, and builds a stately milestone of feminist Arab cinema.

Cannes Film Festival: Camera d'Or Special Mention