Strawberries

Çilekler / La Más Dulce

DCP / Color / 101’
Arabic and Spanish with Turkish and English Subtitles
France, Morocco, Spain, Belgium, 2026

Director: Laïla Marrakchi
Screenplay: Laïla Marrakchi, Delphine Agut
Cinematography: Tristan Galand
Editing: Jean-François Elie, Nicolas Chaudierge
Cast: Nisrin Erradi, Hajar Graigaa, Hind Braik, Fatima Attif, Itsaso Arana, Paco Mora, Mohamed Larbi Ajbar, Fran Cantos, Nando Pérez, Fatima Zahra Khoulati, Antonio Estrada, Nawal Sordo, Gonzalo Trujillo, Oussama Ouariach, Hamidou Dia, Joserra Leza, Sofia Garnes Khaddari, Hanan Alouad Ben Moussa, Marina Redondo, Olga Navalón, Fernando Jariego, Adela Castaño, Gabriel Boy, Dalila Nouira, Abderahman Senoussi, Angok Apin, Saria Rezgalla, Soukaina El Msatfi
Producer: Juliette Schrameck, Mathieu Verhaeghe, Thomas Verhaeghe
Production: Lumen, Atelier
World Sales: Lucky Number

Synopsis

Labour exploitation is a problem for all workers, but when it comes to seasonal migrant women, the issues deepen and diversify. Alongside harsh working conditions, underpayment, inadequate shelter, lack of safety, and sexual harassment further complicate the lives of female workers on top of existing social pressures and inequality. Laila Marrakchi’s Strawberries, which centers on the experiences of a group of Moroccan women brought to Spain to pick strawberries, goes beyond merely voicing these problems. It portrays the relationships, hidden secrets, future plans, and the fears, weaknesses, and strengths that hold back these women from true solidarity—women who feel the constant pressure of their traditional society while trying to earn a living in a semi-slavery system that persists in modern-day Europe. Competing in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival 21 years after her 2005 debut feature Marock, Laila Marrakchi presents her main character, Hasna, as a former Taekwondo practitioner who is neither a hero nor a victim. By doing so, she crafts a fully fleshed-out character complete with secrets, mistakes, betrayal, fears, regrets, and rage. Nisrin Erradi, who portrays Hasna, proves once again that she is one of the most powerful and charismatic actresses in contemporary Moroccan cinema.

Screenings