You Resemble Me
You Resemble Me is a 2021 internationally co-produced drama film, directed by Dina Amer in her directorial debut, from a screenplay by Amer and Omar Mullick. It stars Lorenza Grimaudo, Ilonna Grimaudo, Mouna Soualem, Sabrina Ouazani, Dina Amer, Alexandre Gonin, Grégoire Colin and Zinedine Soualem. Spike Lee, Spike Jonze, Riz Ahmed and Alma Har'el serve as executive producers on the film.[4]
| You Resemble Me | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Dina Amer |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Omar Mullick |
| Edited by |
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| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Willa Productions |
Release dates |
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Running time | 90 minutes[1] |
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| Box office | $69,760[2][3] |
It had its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival in the Venice Days section on September 8, 2021. It was released in the United States on November 4, 2022.
Plot
When two sisters are torn apart, the eldest struggles to find her identity.
Cast
- Lorenza Grimaudo as Young Hasna
- Ilonna Grimaudo as Young Mariam
- Mouna Soualem as Adult Hasna
- Sabrina Ouazani as Adult Hasna #2
- Dina Amer as Adult Hasna #3
- Alexandre Gonin as Abdelhamid
- Grégoire Colin as Foster Father
- Zinedine Soualem as Army Officer
- Agnès de Tyssandier as Foster Mother
- Sana Sri as Amina
Production
Dina Amer worked as a reporter for Vice News, and reported on the 2015 Saint-Denis raid, in which it was later found that the police report that Hasna Aït Boulahcen was a suicide bomber, was false.[5] Boulachen's family was contacted by multiple journalists, but they chose to speak with Amer, who over the course of several years conducting 360 hours of interviews, with Boulahcen's family and friends, to write the screenplay and make it as accurate as possible.[6][7] Amer wanted the film not to excuse Boulahcen's choice, but to explore radicalization and how she got there and prevent others from falling into the same traps.[8] Amer walked away from a deal with a major studio in order to maintain her vision, as financiers preferred for the film to be a documentary.[9][5]
Release
It had its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival in the Venice Days section on September 8, 2021.[10][11] It was released in the Middle East in September 2022, by Front Row Filmed Entertainment.[12] It was released in the United States on November 4, 2022, by Willa Productions.[13] It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on February 3, 2023, by Modern Films.[14][15]
Awards
The film has been well received in international film festivals. It won the Audience Award at the Red Sea Festival.[16] It also won an unprecedented four awards at REC Tarragona, including the CineClub Jury Prize, the Young Jury Prize, and the Audience Award.[17]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 47 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.90/10. The website's consensus reads: "A haunting look at the roots of radicalization, You Resemble Me wrings harrowing drama out of its fact-based coming-of-age story."[18] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]
References
- "Tu Me Ressembles". Venice Days. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
- "You Resemble Me". Boxmojo. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- Keslassy, Elsa (December 7, 2022). "Modern Films to Release Dina Amer's 'You Resemble Me,' Executive Produced by Spike Lee, Spike Jonze, in U.K., Ireland (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- Dalton, Ben (July 28, 2021). "The Match Factory boards Venice Giornate degli Autori title 'You Resemble Me' (exclusive)". Screen International. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
- Schwartz, Drew (September 10, 2021). "Dina Amer on the Troubling, Unforgettable True Story Behind 'You Resemble Me'". Vice. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
- Keslassy, Elsa (September 8, 2021). "Dina Amer Deconstructs Radicalization in Venice Days' Bold Feature Debut 'You Resemble Me'". Variety. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
- Gonzalez, Daisy (October 27, 2022). "The Spotlight: Dina Amer". Free The Work. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- "You Resemble Me". The Match Factory. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
- Berger, Laura (August 31, 2021). "Venice 2021 Women Directors: Meet Dina Amer – "Tu Me Ressembles" ("You Resemble Me")". Womenandhollywood.com. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
- Vivarelli, Nick (July 28, 2021). "Venice Days Unveils Lineup Including 'Madeleine Collins' With 'Benedetta' Star Virginie Efira And Many Debuts". Variety. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
- Tabbara, Mona (July 28, 2021). "Spike Lee, Spike Jonze executive-produced 'You Resemble Me' in Venice's Giornate degli Autori". Screen International. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
- Vivarelli, Nick (September 19, 2022). "Egyptian-American Director Dina Amer's Drama 'You Resemble Me' on Islamic Radicalization Gets Middle East Release Via Front Row (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- Ramachandran, Naman (October 21, 2022). "Spike Lee, Spike Jonze, Riz Ahmed, Alma Har'el Produced 'You Resemble Me': Watch First Trailer for Dina Amer's Festival Favorite Film (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- "You Resemble Me". Modern Films. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
- Keslassy, Elsa (December 7, 2022). "Modern Films to Release Dina Amer's 'You Resemble Me,' Executive Produced by Spike Lee, Spike Jonze, in U.K., Ireland (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
- "Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Festival concludes with red carpet and gala awards ceremony". Arab.news. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- "'Piccolo corpo' se impone en el festival de cine REC, de Tarragona". Elpais.com. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- "You Resemble Me". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
- "You Resemble Me". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 6, 2023.