Hafsia Herzi

Hafsia Herzi is a French actress, screenwriter and director born on 25 January 1987 in Manosque, France. She emerged onto the international scene with her breakout role in the Franco‑Tunisian drama The Secret of the Grain, a film that earned her the César Award for Most Promising Actress in 2008 and the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice International Film Festival. Raised in Marseille after her parents' divorce, Herzi is the youngest of four children, with a Tunisian father and an Algerian mother, which gives her a rich multicultural background that informs much of her artistic sensibility. Following her acclaimed debut, she continued to build a diverse repertoire, appearing in the provocative period piece House of Tolerance (2011) and the thriller Sex Doll (2016), as well as taking roles in American independent productions such as War Story and This Teacher, showcasing her ability to cross linguistic and cultural borders. In addition to acting, Herzi ventured behind the camera, writing and directing her first feature, You Deserve a Lover, in 2019, a film that explored intimate relationships with a distinctive feminist perspective. Her sophomore directorial effort, Good Mother (Bonne Mère), was selected for the Un Certain Regard competition at Cannes 2021, where it won the Ensemble Prize, confirming her status as a respected auteur. The actress further cemented her standing in French cinema by winning the César Award for Best Actress in 2025 for her performance in Borgo, directed by Stéphane Demoustier. On a personal note, Herzi shares a son with her partner, professional cyclist Nacer Bouhanni, and has navigated public scrutiny, including a high‑profile legal case in 2017 that highlighted issues of gender and religious bias in the media. Her career, marked by critical acclaim and artistic versatility, continues to evolve as she balances acting, directing, and motherhood.