A Bag of Flour: Film Review

Cult Arab actresses Hafsia Herzi and Hiam Abbass give life to the tale of a kidnapped child growing up a stranger in her own land.

Based on a true story that seems like the tag-line for an international kidnapping drama, A Bag of Flour touches the heart of the old question of woman’s role in contemporary Arab society. Though the film, expanded to feature length from director Kadija Leclere’s award-winning short Sarah,unravels a bit in the middle with romantic clichés, its final, piercingly bittersweet minutes redeem a lot. It’s held together by beautifully low-key performances from the stately Hiam Abbass andHafsia Herzi, whose career began with her memorable portrait of a North African woman caught in cultural cross-fire in The Secret of the Grain. This small, imperfect but valiant first feature has begun making festival rounds, where it should gain notice.