Amira Jihane Khelfallah, a doctoral candidate in comparative literature in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, won a special jury prize during the 11th International Film Festival of Algiers.
Khelfallah received the award for her short film “Al saghira,” which explores the effects of French nuclear testing in southern Algeria during the early and mid-1960s. The film, also known by its French (“La petite”) and English (“Miss”) titles, previously won prizes at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival and at the 2020 Mediterranean Film Festival in Rome.
Considered Algeria’s most important celebration of international cinema, the festival took place Dec. 2-10, following a two-year absence due to COVID-19. It featured 60 films, including 25 in official competition, spanning six thematic areas: environment; women; restored films; young films; the 60th anniversary of Algerian independence; and cinema, memory and resistance.
Read the awards announcement (in French).
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