Zohra is initially happy with her marriage to Omar, but his jealous side increasingly gets the upper hand. When he starts beating her and is immediately very sorry, Zohra wants to forgive him, as many domestic violence victims do. Only when he really goes too far does Zohra realise she has to separate from him. However, by then she is trapped: they have a daughter together, who loves her father.
Without making light of the subject, Kung Fu Zohra posits a playful, cinematic solution to domestic violence. Zohra, who has always loved kung fu films, starts learning an Asian martial art. She is helped by the mysterious security guard at the gym she works at. Step by step, Zohra works towards her liberation in this extremely well-acted French drama by the director of J.C.V.D.. Cleverly applying the conventions of the kung fu genre to deal with a serious societal problem, Mabrouk El Mechri’s latest strikes a perfect balance between seriousness and uplifting humour.
Film details
Country of production
France
Year
2021
Festival edition
P&I Selection 2022
Length
100"
Medium/Format
DCP
Language
French
Premiere status
None
Director
Mabrouk El Mechri
Producer
François Kraus, Denis Pineau-Valencienne
Screenplay
Mabrouk El Mechri
Cinematography
Pierre-Yves Bastard
Editing
Marc Gurung
Production design
André Fonsny
Sound design
Olivier Walczak
Principal cast
Sabrina Ouazani, Ramzy Bedia, Eye Haïdara, Marie Cornillon, Mira Rogliano, Rémy Steelcox