N. B. Saw on TV5MONDE with English subtitles. Hafida is the sort of film that's really hard to dislike. Very good direction, excellent acting and a touching storyline make this easily the best French language short film I've seen this year. Alicia Dadoun and Pauline Cheviller as Ouafa and Emilie respectively couldn't have been better cast; they make their characters relatable (especially to me, perhaps because they are around my age), adventurous, witty and very capable of conveying a range of emotions. As for the directing, Loïc Nicoloff has excellently captured the various parts of France in which it was filmed (I shalln't give them away). To summarise, Hafida is one of those short films one can walk away from feeling happier; it isn't a feel-good film by any measure, but just an uplifting story, portrayed well.
