| The Little Sister | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| French | La Petite Dernière |
| Literally | The Little Last One |
| Directed by | Hafsia Herzi |
| Screenplay by | Hafsia Herzi |
| Based on | The Last One byFatima Daas |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Jérémie Attard |
| Edited by | Géraldine Mangenot |
| Music by | Amine Bouhafa |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Ad Vitam |
Release dates |
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Running time | 106 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
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| Language | French |
The Little Sister (French:La Petite Dernière,lit. 'The Little Last One') is a 2025coming-of-agedrama film written and directed byHafsia Herzi. It is an adaptation ofFatima Daas's 2020autofiction novelThe Last One. It follows Fatima (Nadia Melliti) a young lesbian descendant ofAlgerian immigrants inParis, who struggles to balance the expectations of her Muslim family. The supporting cast includesPark Ji-min, Louis Memmi,Mouna Soualem, and several non-professional actors. The film is a co-production between France and Germany.[2]
The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the78th Cannes Film Festival on 16 May 2025, where it won theQueer Palm and theBest Actress prize, and will be theatrically released in France on 22 October 2025 byAd Vitam.
Fatima, 17, is the youngest of three daughters in aFrench-Algerian family. Wanting to find her own path in life, she begins university studies in Paris, where she embraces new experiences. She struggles to develop her identity and balance emerging desires, including her attraction to women, while also maintaining a sense of loyalty to her family.[3]
The Little Sister isHafsia Herzi's third feature-length film, following herCritics' Week debut featureYou Deserve a Lover (2019) and herUn Certain Regard prize-winnerGood Mother (2021).[2] Herzi wrote the screenplay,[1] which she adapted fromFatima Daas's debut novelThe Last One (French:La Petite Dernière), which follows the life of a youngMuslim woman as she explores her sexuality, religion, and relationships while living inClichy-sous-Bois, a suburb ofParis.[4] Daas described the novel as a work ofautofiction as the life of the main character, who is also named Fatima Daas, parallels Daas' own.[5]
The film was produced by Julie Billy and Naomi Denamur for June Films, in co-production withArte France Cinéma and Germany's Katuh Studio.[2]
The Little Sister was selected to compete for thePalme d'Or at the78th Cannes Film Festival,[6][7] where it had its world premiere on 16 May 2025.[8]
International sales are handled by mk2 Films.[2] The film is scheduled to be theatrically released in France byAd Vitam on 22 October 2025.[1]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 82% of 11 critics' reviews are positive.[9]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival | 24 May 2025 | Palme d'Or | Hafsia Herzi | Nominated | [8] |
| Queer Palm | Won | [10] | |||
| Best Actress | Nadia Melliti | Won | [11] |
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