Monday 24 November saw filming kick off on Malika, Mounia Meddour’s third feature film after Papicha [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Mounia Meddour
scheda film] (unveiled in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section in 2019 and awarded the 2020 César for Best First Film and Most Promising Actress) and Houria [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] (the winner of the Audience Award in Bologna’s 2023 Biografilm event).

The cast of her new opus stars Moroccan musician Lilya Adad (in her big-screen debut), Camille Razat (of the series Néro and Emily in Paris), Elsa Zylberstein (nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2009 César Awards via I’ve Loved You So Long [+leggi anche:
trailer
scheda film] and Best Actress at the 2016 Lumière Awards; equally dazzling in Simone, A Woman of the Century) and Belgian talent Lubna Azabal (a four-time winner of the Magritte for Best Actress, including in 2012 for Incendies [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] and more recently in 2025 for Amal [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Jawad Rhalib
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intervista: Céline Sciamma
intervista: Céline Sciamma
scheda film]) and Rani Bheemuck.

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Written by Mounia Meddour and Joanne Giger (awarded the Swiss Film Awards’ Best Screenplay Quartz in 2020 for Beyond the Horizon [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Delphine Lehericey
scheda film]), the story centres on Malika whose goal is to become one of the world’s greatest mezzo-sopranos. Her determination earns her a place in the prestigious École Nationale de musique de Paris, headed up by Anne Dune. From then on, she strives, against all odds, to rise to the ranks of the finest opera singers, with the help of an unconventional and decidedly non-academic teacher who helps her progress by encouraging her to reconnect with her injured body.

Nicknamed “the diva of the suburbs” and born in 1956 in a shantytown in Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris, Malika Bellaribi Le Moal overcame a serious accident at the age of three which saw her break both her legs, her hips and her pelvis. She discovered singing during her time in hospital with the Sisters of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul. The film looks to celebrate the struggle of this woman of Algerian origin who battled racism and hardship to become a renowned opera singer on some of the most prestigious stages.

Malika is being produced by Fannie Pailloux for Apaches, with co-production outsourced to Fabrice Denizot for Solar Entertainment, in league with High Sea Production. Pre-purchased by Ciné+ OCS and France 2 Cinéma, the feature also enjoys support from the Ile-de-France region, where filming will run until 15 January, with Jeanne Lapoirie (César nominated in her field in 2003, 2014 and 2018) as director of photography. French distribution will fall to Nour Films.