The Little Sister (2025 film)

The Little Sister
FrenchLa Petite Dernière
LiterallyThe Little Last One
Directed byHafsia Herzi
Screenplay byHafsia Herzi
Based onThe Last One
by Fatima Daas
Produced by
  • Julie Billy
  • Naomi Denamur
StarringNadia Melliti
CinematographyJérémie Attard
Edited byGéraldine Mangenot
Music byAmine Bouhafa
Production
companies
Distributed byAd Vitam
Release dates
  • 16 May 2025 (2025-05-16) (Cannes)
  • 1 October 2025 (2025-10-01) (France)
Running time
106 minutes[1]
Countries
  • France
  • Germany
LanguageFrench

The Little Sister (French: La Petite Dernière, lit. 'The Little Last One') is a 2025 coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Hafsia Herzi. It is an adaptation of Fatima Daas's 2020 autofiction novel The Last One. It stars newcomer Nadia Melliti as the daughter of Algerian immigrants in Paris who struggles to balance the expectations of her family with her burgenoning identity. The supporting cast includes Park Ji-min, Louis Memmi, Mouna Soualem, and several non-professional actors. The film is a co-production between France and Germany.[2]

The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 78th Cannes Film Festival on 16 May 2025, where it won the Queer Palm and the Best Actress prize, and will be theatrically released in France on 1 October 2025 by Ad Vitam.

Synopsis

Fatima, 17, is the youngest of three daughters in a French-Algerian family. Wanting to find her own path in life, she begins university studies in Paris, where she embraces new experiences. She struggles to develop her identity and balance emerging desires, including her attraction to women, while also maintaining a sense of loyalty to her family.[3]

Cast

Production

The Little Sister is Hafsia Herzi's third feature-length film, following her Critics' Week debut feature You Deserve a Lover (2019) and her Un Certain Regard prize-winner Good Mother (2021).[2] Herzi wrote the screenplay,[1] which she adapted from Fatima Daas's debut novel The Last One (French: La Petite Dernière), which follows the life of a young Muslim woman as she explores her sexuality, religion, and relationships while living in Clichy-sous-Bois, a suburb of Paris.[4] Daas described the novel as a work of autofiction as the life of the main character, who is also named Fatima Daas, parallels Daas' own.[5]

The film was produced by Julie Billy and Naomi Denamur for June Films, in co-production with Arte France Cinéma and Germany's Katuh Studio.[2]

Release

The Little Sister was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 78th Cannes Film Festival,[6][7] where it had its world premiere on 16 May 2025.[8]

International sales are handled by mk2 Films.[2] The film is scheduled to be theatrically released in France by Ad Vitam on 1 October 2025.[1]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 11 critics' reviews are positive.[9]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival 24 May 2025 Palme d'Or Hafsia Herzi Nominated [8]
Queer Palm Won [10]
Best Actress Nadia Melliti Won [11]

References

  1. ^ a b c "La Petite Dernière" (in French). Ad Vitam. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Leffler, Rebecca (10 January 2025). "How France's June Films is crafting a bold international slate led by Hafsia Herzi's 'La Petite Dernière'". Screen International. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  3. ^ "THE LITTLE SISTER". mk2 Films. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  4. ^ Mahfouz, Sabrina (21 January 2022). "The Last One by Fatima Daas review – a hypnotic debut". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  5. ^ Ayuso, Julia Webster (19 November 2021). "People Like Her Didn't Exist in French Novels. Until She Wrote One". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  6. ^ Ntim, Zac (10 April 2025). "Cannes Competition Lineup: Aster, Trier, Dardennes, Reichardt, Ducournau, Wes Anderson & More — Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  7. ^ Roxborough, Scott (10 April 2025). "Cannes Lines Up Another Hot Festival With Wes Anderson, Spike Lee, Richard Linklater, Ari Aster Premieres (Full List)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  8. ^ a b "The Screenings Guide of the 78th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  9. ^ "The Little Sister". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  10. ^ Queer Palm. "Sélection Queer Palm 2025 Competition". Facebook. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  11. ^ "Cannes 2025 : Nadia Melliti, prix de la meilleure actrice pour La Petite Dernière". Le Figaro (in French). 24 May 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.


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