Houria

Like dancing with yourself: it's not always structured and gets a little sloppy but it feels good so yeah, why not? I was happily surprised to see Houria was directed by the same woman (Mounia Meddour) who made the powerful Papicha with the same Lyna Khoudri in 2019, with some of the same themes (specifically Islamic rebel terrorist activities during the Algerian Civil War in the 90s). While Houria lacked the laser focus of Papicha, the heart of the matter was still there and in the right place. From a cinematic point of view the story is a little all over the place (is it a movie about emigration, law, terrorists, dancing, overcoming personal adversity...?) and the directing sometimes loses focus (literally, as well as too many extreme close-ups and too much shaky cam), but the overall feeling of this film about a young ballerina integrating a group of Algerian women who've suffered at the hands of terrorists is a rewarding and often emotional one. And the shots of Lyna Khoudri dancing... chef's kiss.