In 2016 Houda Benyamina, won all the prizes awarded to a first film at Cannes, the Lumières and the César awards. The same was true for her two actors, Oulaya Amamra (César Award for Most Promising Actress in 2017) and Déborah Lukumuena. First noticed as Héloïse Martin’s best friend in Alexandre Castagnetti’s “Tamara”, Oulaya went on to star alongside Isabelle Adjani, Vincent Cassel and Karim Leklou in Romain Gavras’ “The World is Yours”.

Under the direction of André Techniné, she faced Catherine Deneuve in “L’Adieu à la nuit” and under Philippe Garrel’s supervision, she found herself at the heart of a love triangle in “The Salt of Tears”. First, in “Citoyen d’honneur” by Mohamed Hamidi, with Kad Merad, currently showing in French cinemas, then as the lead of the dizzying cast (Gilles Lellouche, Vincent Lacoste, Alain Chabat, Benoît Poelvoorde, Anaïs Demoustier… ) in Quentin Dupieux’s “Fumer fait tousser”, as the conductor Zahia Ziouani in Marie-Castille Mention- Schaar’s “Divertimento” and finally in “Toutes pour une”, a female version of “Les Trois Mousquetaires directed by Houda Benyamina.

© DR