Yvonne Nguyen, a French-Vietnamese actress, dreams of a successful career in musicals, to the great displeasure of her mother, who would like her to pursue a more serious path. When she has no choice but to move back to her mother’s, both women are strangers to each other. But in the intimacy of the Vietnamese family restaurant’s kitchen, they grow closer. Meanwhile, Yvonne is still after her dreams and finally gets the chance to audition for a big show.
NAIMA – a heroine abroad
After many years working in the low-paid sector, the charming Naima, originally from Venezuela, has finally landed a job as an apprentice nurse. … But her happiness comes up against harsh reality: the patients love her empathetic humour, but her colleagues criticise her professional distance. When Naima fails her placement, her world collapses. But then she embarks on her toughest battle yet: standing up for herself.
We look behind a façade of prejudice and show a fighter who is looking for the right path to integration for herself and for many others. Naima should give courage not only to migrants, but also to all those fighting for their place in society.
Naima is a heroine of such strength and vitality that you fall in love with her charm from the very first moment. Dok Leipzig, Vika Leshchenko
In the media, migrants often appear as a threatening group, but we rarely learn who they really are. NAIMA shows the struggles and untapped potential that many still carry with them, even after years in their new country. NAIMA reflects the individual fates of many migrants who, unlike ‘expatriates’, go abroad with completely different circumstances. Unrecognised qualifications and difficult access to training often prevent them from developing their potential and finding their place in society. This often results in health problems, particularly psychological ones, which constitute a vicious circle for their professional and family lives.
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In einem Massagesalon in Flushing, Queens, kämpfen Amy und Didi um Romantik, Glück und die Verpflichtungen ihrer Familie, die Tausende von Kilometern von zu Hause entfernt ist. Trotz der körperlichen und emotionalen Belastung, die ihre Arbeit mit sich bringt, haben die beiden Frauen eine undurchdringliche Schwesternschaft aufgebaut, die tragischerweise zusammenbricht, als am Mondneujahrstag eine Katastrophe eintritt.
Renuka flees from a brothel in Delhi in the middle of the night, takes on the name of a Hindu goddess and goes into hiding in a community of sex workers in northern India. There she meets Devika, who is much younger and dreams of becoming a rapper. However, she is condemned to continue the tradition of her caste as a prostitute.
A tender but forbidden romance develops between Renuka and Devika – and conflict is inevitable. The two women overcome huge hurdles and make great sacrifices on their journey to freedom. When their situation leaves them no choice, murder is also a means of defence.
This suspense-packed thriller shows people on the margins of society and provides an insight into a part of Indian society.
Anasuya Sengupta received the Best Actress Award at Cannes for her performance in this film.
Gabriel Lobos is nominated for the Swiss Film Prize for Best Cinematography.