Divines 2016

Dounia, portrayed by Oulaya Amamra, is a teenage girl navigating life in a Romani banlieue on the fringes of Paris alongside her mother (Majdouline Idrissi) and aunt. Together with her best friend Maimouna, played by Déborah Lukumuena, they resort to hustling—shoplifting from local supermarkets before selling their stolen goods to classmates on the streets. They have an underground sanctuary nestled in the catwalk of a nearby theater, where they sprawl out to watch dance auditions, igniting Dounia’s curiosity for dance and ambition.

One day, when Maimouna dares Dounia to spit on an untrained dancer named Djigui (Kevin Mischel), Dounia finds herself unintentionally drawn to him when he chases her after she complies. Their playful altercation takes a turn, leading Dounia to pull him up from the catwalk after he slips. At school, she faces pressure to train as a receptionist but resists, mocking her teacher for their financial struggles and promising to out-earn her one day.

A local drug dealer, Rebecca (Jisca Kalvanda), shows the kids footage from her trip to Thailand, sharing plans to seize opportunities within the expanding sex tourism industry. Dounia, eager to prove herself worthy of being part of Rebecca’s circle, witnesses Rebecca handle a drug deal with an associate named Samir ([Yasin Houicha]), and audaciously steals drugs to present to Rebecca, convincing her that she can be a better dealer. Impressed, Rebecca appoints Dounia and Maimouna to a series of low-level jobs, which they deftly execute, earning them respect in the gritty underworld.

Rebecca later reveals a heist plan involving 100,000 euros hidden by a wealthy man named Reda ([Farid Larbi]). As Dounia continues to stash her earnings in the theater, trouble brews when she suspects Djigui, who is now a dancer in the show, of stealing her money. A wild night follows when Samir takes the girls to a nightclub, attracting the attention of Dounia, only for the night to take a dark turn when she returns home to find Samir in a compromising situation with her mother. In a fit of rage, Dounia vandalizes and finds herself in a violent riot after confronting the authorities.

In her desperate pursuit to reclaim her money and regain Rebecca’s trust, she discovers Djigui has tickets to his performance and the cash. However, rather than attend the show, Dounia finds herself in Reda’s apartment, where she ferociously defends herself from his predatory advances and uncovers the hidden stash of cash. She leaves some for her mother, planning to escape with Maimouna on a dance tour with Djigui.

Just as hope returns, a message from Rebecca forces Dounia’s hand; Maimouna has been taken captive. Dounia delivers the money to Rebecca, but the thief’s cunning ensnares her when Rebecca realizes part of the money is missing. In a fit of rage, she threatens to torch Dounia. Amidst the escalating violence, Dounia manages to subdue Rebecca, leading to a catastrophic encounter where the space ignites, leaving them trapped inside.

While Dounia attempts to save Maimouna, chaos envelopes their world as the firemen cannot intervene without riot police. Dounia desperately appeals for their help, but it’s futile as the building erupts in flames, leading to Maimouna’s tragic demise. Heartbroken and powerless, Dounia witnesses the riot unfold outside, marking a harrowing and transformative chapter in her turbulent life.