#TIFF23: “FOUR DAUGHTERS” REVIEW

By Amanda Gilmore

The latest from Writer-Director Kaouther Ben Hania, who was the Co-Winner of the Cannes ’23 Golden Eye Award, tells a heartbreaking story through a hybrid Documentary and Drama model.

It tells the true story of Olfa Hamrouni and her four daughters. Documenting the story of how her two eldest daughters, Ghofrane and Rahma, disappeared in 2015 (aged 16 and 15) and how that shaped and emotionally affected the lives of Olfa and her two youngest daughters, Eya and Tayssir (aged 10 and 12).

Olfa’s story could be told through as a whole Documentary or Drama but this hybrid model adds a layer of cinematic dynamism. Ben Hania patiently allows Olfa and her youngest daughters as they tell their story to the Actors, who play Olfa and her eldest daughters. The stories Olfa, Eya and Tayssir share with the Actors give an unflinching glimpse into the pain they live with. We watch as they confront their grief in a different way through this process and uncover how they’ve moved forward, yet in some regards remained, still since the disappearance.

Four Daughters is a captivating portrait of the pain that accompanies familial love. An honest look at the kind of love that never fades no matter the decisions they make.

Four Daughters screens at TIFF ’23:

Wednesday, September 13 at 2 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox

Thursday, September 14 at 9:45 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto