The Independent Spirit Awards are, as you might imagine, usually reserved for independent films, i.e., those with a smaller budget, lesser known cast, foreign, and usually without a green screen. And last night, Arab female director, Kaouther Ben Hania, picked up an award for her documentary, Four Daughters. The film, which won the Golden Eye award at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, and has also picked up an Oscar nomination (this is the second Oscar nod for Ben Hania), tells the story of a Tunisian woman whose two eldest daughters are radicalised by Islamic extremists.
“Arab women have a voice,” Ben Hania said in her acceptance speech. “Oh my god, I can’t believe it. Thank you thank you.”
Four Daughters also won a César Award in Paris just a few days ago (as seen above), and for a documentary feature, both awards are a a good indicator of what is to come at the Academy Awards in just a few weeks.
Ben Hania’s previous films include 2006’s Me, My Sister and the Thing, 2013’s Woden Hand and Challat of Tunis, 2016’s Zaineb Hates the Snow, and 2017’s Beauty and the Dogs.
Our latest cover star, Mohammed Al Turki, showered the filmmaker with praise on a recent Instagram post, showing Ben Hania’s acceptance speech.
2023 was not just a terrific year for international film, but especially female artists, as Korean filmmaker, Celine Song, picked up the best director awards last night for her debut, Past Lives.
Ben Hania has already made history as the first Arab woman with two Oscar nominations, and by the way things are looking, securing that little gold man seems very much within reach.
