Papicha

Papicha is set in Algiers in the 1990s, during a period of political and social upheaval in Algeria. Nedjma, an eighteen-year-old university student, is passionate about fashion design and determined to live a normal life despite the unrest around her. She sneaks out at night with her best friend Wassila to sell the clothes she makes. As the country grows more conservative and restrictions on women tighten, Nedjma refuses to give in. Together with her friends Samira and Kahina, she organizes a fashion show at the university, defying the rules imposed by radical groups.

The film was directed by Mounia Meddour, who also wrote the screenplay, and it was her first feature, followed by Houria in 2023 and Malika in 2026. Lyna Khoudri plays Nedjma, with Shirine Boutella, Amira Hilda Douaouda, Nadia Kaci, Yasin Houicha and Zahra Doumandji among the cast. A co-production between Algeria, Belgium and France, it grossed about 2 million dollars worldwide.

Audience response has been positive: on IMDb it holds 7.1 out of 10 from around 4,000 votes, and on TMDB it scores 7.6 out of 10 from 281 votes. The smaller TMDB sample is notably warmer, while the larger IMDb group is somewhat more measured, though both point to a film that has connected with viewers.