“We summon the past, not only to reenact it but also to understand it”: Kaouther Ben Hani on Four Daughters

Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hani brings to screen this documentary film Four Daughters, which centres its narrative on the Hamrouni family. Grappling with the disappearance of two of the four daughters Ghofrane and Rhama, who have been radicalised, left the family home and joined ISIS, their mother Olaf talks to Ben Hani about the effect on her remaining two daughters Eya and Tassir and the trauma they all face ahead of them.

The two departed daughters are replaced by professional actresses Ichrak Matar and Nour Karoui in the documentary and Olaf is intermittently replaced by the actress Hind Sabri too to round out the story arc and give viewers an idea of the family dynamic between the four daughters and their mother. The unique story dissects their entire lives and presents itself as a coming-of-age drama with layers of hope, political and religious undercurrents and emotional discomfort.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking to Kaouther Ben Hani during London Film Festival about her choice to tell this story, the different aspects of what she wanted to explore through the narrative and the lengthy filming process, which included a predominately female presence both in front of and behind the camera.

Ezelle Alblas

Four Daughters is released in UK cinemas on 1^st March 2024.

Watch the trailer for Four Daughters here: