Francaise on AllMovie

A girl and her family find themselves at odds over just where her home truly is in this drama from writer and director Souad El-Bouhati. Sophia (Alexandra Martinez) is a ten-year-old girl who has lived in France since she was born. However, her parents emigrated to Europe from North Africa, and while Sophia thinks of herself as French, her parents still feel like outsiders in their adopted homeland. When Sophia's father loses his job, he announces to the family that they'll be moving back to Morocco, but she's furious at being taken from the only home she's ever known, and makes it clear she intends to go back. Years later, Sophia (Hafsia Herzi) is a teenager who has been obsessed with getting good grades; once she graduates from school at the age of 18, she's determined to leave Morocco and attend college in France, which in her heart is still her home. However, her family isn't as certain about her future as Sophia is, and she's also up against a local tradition that sees most young women married off as soon as they leave high school. Française was an official selection at the 2009 Rotterdam International Film Festival.