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Sara & Fatima

Romy Boutin St-Pierre, Nada Cheddadi, Karima Zouhair / 2026 / 13 min. / Canada / FRENCH, Darija / Canada

Synopsis

Two women meet at a bus stop in Morocco, on an almost deserted highway. One is veiled, the other is not. They are smitten at first sight and judge each other. Time passes by, the bus doesn't arrive. Alone and desperate in the middle of nowhere, they gradually open up and show their vulnerabilities. Between friction and mutual support, Sara and Fatima drop their masks to reveal their inner struggles and unite in the face of the aggression hanging over them.

Cast & Crew

  • Screenplay : Romy Boutin St-Pierre, Nada Cheddadi
  • Cinematographer : Mathieu Huard
  • Editor : Roaa Idali
  • Sound : Maroua Zaki
  • Sound mix : Mathieu Grégoire
  • Sound editor : Romy Boutin St-Pierre
  • Cast : Oumaima Barid, Roaa Idali

Genre

Fiction

Topics

Trailer

Biography

Romy Boutin St-Pierre, Nada Cheddadi and Karima Zouhair are three emerging filmmakers living between Quebec and Morocco. Inhabited by a plurality of cultural perspectives, they are interested in the subject of the veil and the social view of women's bodies. Sara & Fatima (2025) is their first artistic collaboration. They combine their points of view to call for the non-judgment of veiled and unveiled women.

 

Festivals

[2026] SODEC Lab, Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival, France
[2026] IFFR, Pays-Bas
[2026] Festival REGARD, Canada
[2026] Vienna Shorts, Austria

Director's statement

I, Karima Zouhair, a veiled filmmaker from an Amazigh (indigenous Moroccan) village in Morocco, wear my cultural heritage and lifestyle choices with pride. Yet, to this day, I can still notice how many preconceived notions still surround women like me. Sara & Fatima is a way for me to enrich the portrayal of Muslim women and Islam on screen by highlighting the core values that unite us: sharing, benevolence, justice, freedom, trust and forgiveness; values that can be found in both veiled and unveiled women.

I, Nada Cheddadi, grew up between Morocco and Canada, and I observe that the generation of young Muslims to which I belong finds itself at the crossroads of several ideologies, between religion, culture and Western influences. The characters of Sara and Fatima represent this duality. Both are grappling with the same questions, juxtaposing their values and life choices. Two battling worlds who at the end, come to realize that there's a little of both in each. Through Sara & Fatima, I hope to support all those wondering about the best way to reconcile faith, values and identity, by showing them that doubt is a natural part of our personal journey.

I, Romy Boutin St-Pierre, have a strong bond with Morocco, where I had the opportunity to study cinema and practice my Moroccan dialect in various local cultural contexts. Having briefly worn the veil in Morocco, I asked myself several personal questions about its meaning and impact. In an era marked by polarization, Sara & Fatima is my way of helping open up dialogue around this symbol that is often misunderstood and reduced to preconceived ideas.

We, Romy, Nada and Karima, the directors of Sara & Fatima, wish to offer a more nuanced perspective on veiled and unveiled women, based on our respective backgrounds and cultures. Through this film, we hope to make them feel seen, heard, understood and accurately represented. A portrait which, in our opinion, can enrich the cinematographic landscape by being authentic, sincere and, above all, unifying. Because it's by listening to each other that we realize just how similar we are.

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