Honey Cigar
Spring Grant 2013 - Development Stage
Kamir Aïnouz / Feature Narrative / France, Algeria, Qatar / 2014 / Original Language: French / Interests: Women, Coming of Age, Romance, War, Dramedy, Identity
Synopsis
France, 1993. Selma, a sharp, 18-year-old Algerian girl, lives in a mostly Catholic suburb of Paris. While her strict Algerian upbringing forces her to live in her own world of romantic daydreams, her parents are constantly tuned in to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in their home country. When Selma meets Julien, a handsome rebel in college, she throws herself into a liberated Western lifestyle, which drives a wedge between her and her parents. Meanwhile, civil war rages in Algeria, tearing her family apart even further. As the consequences of terrorism dawn on her, Selma develops a political conscience, finally earning the respect of her father and of the men in her family. Beyond the tale of a young Arab woman’s tormented coming of age, ‘Honey Cigar’ is at its core a story of the universal quest for identity and a reflection on the unique role Westernised Arab women can play in the world.
Credits
- Director
- Kamir Aïnouz
- Screenwriter
- Kamir Aïnouz
- Producer
- Christine Rouxel
- Production Company
- Eliph Productions
About the Director
Born and raised in Paris of Algerian parents, Kamir Aïnouz studied screenwriting at UCLA and attended directing at workshops at USC. Since 2008, she has worked as a screenwriter on feature films including the American remake of the French comedy ‘LOL’ (2012), the biopic of Egyptian-born singer Dalida, and the adaptation of Camilla Läckberg’s bestselling Swedish novel ‘The Ice Princess’ for French studio UGC. ‘Honey Cigar’ is her first original script and her directorial debut.