Honey Cigar

"Kamir Aïnouz's debut film, 'Cigare au miel', was one of the best surprises at the 45th São Paulo International Film Festival in 2021. The story begins in a mundane way: Selma (Zoé Adjani) is starting to fully experience her teenage years. Daughter of Algerians and living in France, she wants to feel everything that her 20s allow her. She wants to love, be disappointed, and fall in love. But in this process, she ends up bumping into the traditions of her family, anchored in Algerian culture and going against the tide of what is happening in this France of the 1990s. From there, in a narrative explosion typical of the so-called "coming of age", we see a whirlwind of things in this young woman's life: suitors presented by relatives, romantic disappointments, and even abuse. Although Kamir exaggerates the number of topics addressed in the film, coming close to superficiality, the construction of Selma is worthy of note: full of nuances and with a true that crosses the screen. The absolute highlight goes to Adjani, in one of the best performances in films in 2021."