User reviews

A film about the overwhelming intolerance for the right to live freely as a woman - this outstanding and intelligent piece of cinema reveals the oppression of women in Algeria circa 1997. Lyna Khoudri is incredible, and so it is that women are still treated like this in far too many places in the world today. Vote no and acknowledge your ignorance, prejudice and misogyny.

Excellent Algerian film on the advancemeny of religious fundamentalism in the country and about mysoginy. Very important as that phenomena also happens in other parts of the world and, as a Brazilian, I assure that not only in islamic countries. It is well filmed and there is a good development of interesting characters.

It's late 90's Algiers. There are constant terror attacks. Security forces are at high alert. Religious conservative groups are pushing women to cover up and pushing the country into an Islamic state. Nedjma (Lyna Khoudri) and her friends are fashion students who are still trying to maintain their western lifestyle. After her friend gets murdered, she decides to host a fashion show in defiance.

This is one stressful movie. The pressures placed upon Nedjma are unbearable. Lyna Khoudri is a magnetic beautiful actress. It's a devastating story. The last act is tough to watch. I'm uncertain about the ending. Obviously, the filmmaker wants to leave some hope. I can buy that but I'm not completely satisfied here. Nevertheless, it's a very good story and I'm taken with Lyna.

The first time I've heard about this movie, and the fact it was Algeria's submission to the Oscars, it caught my attention; the plot reminded me a bit of another amazing algerian movie (I still hide to smoke) and so we went. And, ladies and gentlemen, what a movie! There is a fine balance between fun/light scenes with others which clearly showcase the political chaos of the time, but even the fun scenes carry at least a bit of anticipation in the back, something could go wrong at any moment, and this is not something this film let the viewer forget (at least, not me). Despair, in fact, was a feeling I felt a lot of time during the movie. But even more than that clear and raw despair/terror, this film really excels in providing an atmosphere of apparent powerlessness; "everything is changing around me, what I can do?". Not only the characters were all very realistic, but Papicha herself was the perfect protagonist to this story, and the acting here is superb. All and all, one of my favorites movies of 2019.

I've heard this film for many years ago from a couple of my Algerian and Moroccan friends, it's a film that I have a mixed feeling about in terms of what message they're trying to convey, although I don't agree with the overall liberal nature of the film however the group of fundamental extremist group of women shouldn't barge in and impose hijab on the uni students (especially in a girl's only room), but at the same time some of these uni girls shouldn't cross their limits i.e. Clubbing, smoking, hanging out with boys etc. It may sound as if I'm biased but I believe everything should be done in the moderation and sadly this film somewhat captures the uncomfortable reality about liberalism and the plus side is that Lyna was pretty good actress in the film.

Not sure if I recommend this film, but maybe worth watching to know about Algerian history, although there are probably better represented films out there.

"Papicha" is a film set in Algiers in the 1990s. During this time period, the country was becoming more and more radicalized and young Nedjma (Lyna Khoudri) does NOT fit this mold. In a country where burqas and extreme modesty are starting to be enforced by vicious mobs, a liberal-minded college student like her is in serious trouble! The film is her attempt to push back against this inexorable tide...and the ultimate conclusion.

This is a very well made film in every way--acting, direction and script. It's also, not surprisingly, a bit hard to watch....but this does NOT mean you should avoid it. A strongly feminist film from a time when feminism was breathing its last gasps.

Papicha is a powerful movie. Harsh and brutal, yet sometimes sweet and joyful despite the cruelty around the characters.

Papicha tells us never to give up. It's a cry of hope and resistance. A true gem.

I absolutely loved it. Totally represents algeria back then. Also, it kind of still does until now. I went through a lot too, we want to live not to argue and fight to live.

The main character is an energetic creative and free spirit girl, living in Algeria of the 90s. Though, some of the events depicted in this movie are somewhat true, but not to the extent shown here, which made the movie feel bogus and exaggerated.

Many scenes weren't necessarily and the introduction of the religious zealots was absurd and funny.

The new trend of empowering women movie's saga continues to spoil many attempts to create good cinema without falling in the trap of creating unnecessary conflicts between women and men, whether is it through religion, men dominance over women, work equality etc.

For anyone who is watching the movie without any knowledge about the situation of Algeria in the period of which this movie is supposed to take event, the 90s. Algeria was in a difficult political conflict where the Army didn't want to transfer power to the people, by doing so, killing the first real attempt to real democracy, this escalated the situation and the country fell in a civil war of 10 years.

Recent events clarified most of the lies that were circulating in the country by the Algerian government. The bloodiest Islamic zealots were army special forces, deployed to create fear in the harts of Algerian people, the only terrorists Algeria have ever known.

Just a side note, many Algerian women are proud Muslim, they have as much freedom as any other women in Western countries. Women in Algeria in general are well protected and valued, whether she wear a cover or not, and of course, like any other society, Algeria have its fair share of problems, but not the the extent shown in this over exaggerated movie.

Hope this helps.

Algeria's submission to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film focuses on a girl who longs to go into fashion amid the country's civil war, with Islamist militias targeting "immodest" women.

Mounia Meddour's "Papicha" has both lighthearted scenes and intense ones, never losing the audience's attention in addressing the fear under which Algeria's women have to live. It's sad that Algeria spent over a century under French occupation - including a war of independence during which French forces tortured prisoners - and then after independence the ruling party nullified an unfavorable election result, leading to civil war (in fact, it was only twenty years ago this month that the war ended).

All in all, good movie. Lead actress Lyna Khoudri more recently appeared in "The French Dispatch".

I get a feeling there are a lot of films about women in islamic societies, this ranks high. I recently watched "Mustang" and that film had almost an ethereal way of depicting the girls' innocence and foreshadowed sexuality. Papicha has a more realistic approach and it nails it just as well, or better.

It depicts many shades of the girls psychology, many levels of fear, worry, nuissance or offense. Their reactions might show humour, stubborness, pride, comformity, disbelief... It really shows the dilemma of wanting to be free, but also safe, wanting to keep hope but without fleeing or depending on anyone, all of it while suffering a reality closing in.

I don't think it can even be labelled as a feminist film with the sort of pressure they had to put up with, things got seriously messed up in a country with a violent past, from the process of independence to the rise of fundamentalism. There's only one scene with a man suffering the fanatism but it's there, an important one that refers to weaponizing language by comformist women, so there you go. One could call it a failed opportunity to broaden the issue but no, I think the film would have lost its rhythm and it does focus so well on the group of students that it pays off, widely.

Strong, confident, liveful film-making that takes you on a ride, makes you feel the pressure but helps the viewer all the way, even when it might get tough to watch. Recommended.

It describes well the delima of being a woman in that troublesome time , it talks a lot about creativity and fearsomeness of resistants to the integrism

Islam is innocent from what this movie showes And as a Muslim Algerian Algeria is Islamic country and we do accept this movie so tell false stories about us

When I accidentally saw this movie ....I thought it will be boring but it is not ...very strong feminism arise against the radical society and she has fought back what she desired to do ..... must watch and recommend

A great movie u must watch . it shows the hard time algeria been through

This film is as beautiful as it is hard to watch, absolutely loved this one.

An awesome movie! Various portrayal of life and freedom. Amazing acting. A must see for all humans to break taboo. Nothing requires regulating for you the creator within!

Passionate direction. The lead is amazing. Cinematography is great making you the lead character.

An impact to last!

Nedjma doesn't know how to eat, as it is pointed out pretty early on the film. Her creative hunger makes her dirty, her mouth is always an image of excess: she attacks her mother's doughnuts, she disgustingly spits the school's milk, a drop of saliva hangs from her lip as she argue with her friend, and finally, after a very violent episode, she pushes red beets out of the ground and bites them, right there in the woods, revealing their brilliant reddish interiors. Later, this revealing scene is indirectly mocked by her boyfriend - one of the many internal rhymes on the film. Her mouth reveals: the mouth that eats, that speaks, that kisses. For 90's Algeria, the scandal this represents needs to be covered with dark fabric, and she responds with art made out of white fabric. Whole stories are told only with the sound of hands on cloth, no words needed. Food and fabric: it's a film aesthetically based on the material, and specifically on two types of material that are often linked with a certain idea of femininity. Instead of denying this aspect of womanhood, Ms. Meddour displaces them to a discours of rebellion and resistance.

Worth it.

This film draws its power from its ability to make people feel oppression from the perspective of the main character, Nedjma. The film oscillates between the daily life of a carefree young woman and the situation in Algiers at the time of radicalization in the 90s which does not correspond to the mentality of young girls of the time. All the remarks and attacks that Nedjma endures throughout the film show to what extent women of the time were oppressed by terror and indoctrination. A dramatic film in which we can salute the talent of Lyna Khoudri and Shirine Boutella. A Great movie which help me to understand this part of history.