Inspired by her work covering the 2015 Paris attacks as a journalist for
Vice, Dina Amer makes her directorial debut with
You Resemble Me, which explores the radicalisation of Hasna, a young Parisian woman played
by Mouna Soualem, Sabrina Ouazani and Amer herself.
"I felt that this was not a story about terrorism, but a story about Hasna
being a multi-faceted woman ultimately looking for something we all seek:
to feel a sense of belonging and home," Amer says. "The choice of casting three women to portray Hasna took on a deeper
resonance when I learned just how fragmented the real Hasna was. I really
wanted this film to communicate that disassociation and how we as adults
can leave our bodies and shapeshift to survive when there is an
overwhelming amount of trauma that is imprinted on us as children."
You Resemble Me is in UK cinemas from February 3rd.
Check out the trailer below.
The official synopsis reads:
Cultural and intergenerational trauma erupt in this story about two sisters on the outskirts of Paris. After the siblings are torn apart, the eldest, Hasna, struggles to find her identity, leading to a choice that shocks the world. Director Dina Amer takes on one of the darkest issues of our time and deconstructs it in an intimate story about family, love, sisterhood, and belonging.