23rd edition November 20th to 28th, 2026
23rd edition
20 to 28 November, 2026
After studying philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, Hélène Harder turned to filmmaking following a serious accident. Trained at the University of California, Berkeley, she became an assistant director in New York City and Paris. Inspired by strong female figures, she tells stories of women who challenge gender norms. Her first documentary, Ladies' Turn, has traveled to 15 countries. Since 2013, Harder has divided her time between France and Morocco. In Casablanca, she met Fatna El Bouih, with whom she developed Fatna, a Woman Named Rachid.
In the National Archives of the Kingdom of Morocco, thousands of files await inventory, including those of victims of political violence during the Years of Lead. Among them is Fatna El Bouih, who was disappeared and tortured as a 21-year-old student in the 1970s. Now 67, she continues her fight, pursuing her “dream of change,” active in prisons, advocating for gender equality, and sharing her experience with Syrian survivors of Sednaya prison. Fatna, a Woman Named Rachid follows her activism in Casablanca, in particular at a film festival at Oukacha prison, and blends past and present to portray El Bouih’s journey as a pioneer of women’s engagement and her intimate struggle to exist.
Director Hélène Harder
Producer Ilham Raouf, Jean David Lefebvre, Nadège Labé, Delphine Duez, Valentin Leblanc
Screenwriter Hélène Harder, Fatna El Bouih
Cinematographer Sarah Blum
Editor Nadia Ben Rachid, Laurence Manheimer
Sound Mehdi Filali, Anouar Aït Rahou
Music Charlotte Maison, David Baboulis, Khtek, Nass El Ghiwane
Production Companies Abel Aflam, Wendigo Films, White Boat Pictures, 2M TV Maroc