Four Daughters (2023) User Reviews

Burrows into your soul and lays bare the human condition

[steveinadelaide · 8/10 · 11 March 2024]

Four Daughters, the brainchild of Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, is a documentary unlike any other I've seen. It weaves a heartbreaking narrative around Olfa Hamrouni, a mother grappling with the loss of her two eldest daughters to Islamic extremism. Ben Hania doesn't get into the specifics of radicalisation; instead, she focuses on the emotional fallout and the gaping hole that ideology-shattered families leave behind.

The film's brilliance lies in its unconventional approach. Ben Hania employs a blend of documentary techniques and fictionalised reenactments. Olfa and her two remaining daughters work alongside actors who portray the lost sisters. These staged scenes, though initially jarring, become surprisingly poignant. They allow Olfa and her daughters to confront their past, to rewrite memories, and perhaps even find a semblance of closure.

While the acting by the non-professionals is understandably raw, the emotional heft of their performances is undeniable. There's a palpable sense of vulnerability in Olfa's every word, a quiet desperation that tugs at your heartstrings. The film doesn't shy away from the complexities of grief and the anger that often simmers beneath the surface. It's a testament to Ben Hania's direction that these nuanced emotions translate so powerfully to the screen.

Technically, Four Daughters is a well-crafted piece. The camerawork is unobtrusive, allowing the focus to remain on the characters and their stories. The score is a melancholic tapestry of traditional Arabic music and modern soundscapes, perfectly complementing the film's emotional core. The editing is sharp, seamlessly weaving together the documentary and reenacted elements.

The approach that the director has taken to blurring the lines between documentary and fiction might leave some viewers disoriented. And the movie doesn't delve deeply into the socio-political context that fuels extremism, which could be a missed opportunity for some viewers. However, these shortcomings pale in comparison to the film's overall impact. Four Daughters is a powerful exploration of loss, resilience, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. It is the kind of movie that makes you think and talk about things like faith, family, and the allure of extremism.

Four Daughters is often a difficult watch, but it's a necessary one. If you're looking for a documentary that transcends the genre, a film that burrows into your soul and lays bare the human condition, then Four Daughters is a must-see. Just be prepared to have your heart broken, then pieced back together, stronger, and forever changed.

Powerful, But Glosses Over Some Major Issues

[SpaaceMonkee · 8/10 · 10 March 2024]

Four Daughters is a documentary telling the story of Olfa and her four daughters, Ghofrane, Rahma, Eya, and Tayysir. The eldest two, Ghofrane and Rahma, ran away from home to join ISIS, making international headlines in the process.

The film is set up in an unusual way. The younger daughters play themselves, while actors play the older two sisters as they all reenact various scenes from the past. An actor also plays Olfa, and there are many instances where real Olfa interrupts the "scene" to explain what's incorrect about it or how it actually happened, while at other times the actress Olfa critically questions the real one about her views or her interactions with her daughters. It's a strange design, often creating a meta feel where you're watching a woman watching (and interacting with) an actress play a scene from her past. But, this method seems to work in that it creates an elaborate mechanism to allow the remaining three women (Olfa, Eya, and Tayssir) to tell their own stories.

The direction is even-handed, and the movie doesn't overtly frame anyone as the villain. Instead, it allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions, which is more powerful than telling you what to think anyways. It's hard not to walk away seriously questioning Olfa's parenting, but you also see her as a complicated, largely contradictory character. For example, she beats one of her daughters bloody after finding out she shaved her legs and was hanging out with a boy, but Olfa herself knocked her own husband around on their wedding night and she seemed later left him of her own accord. At another point, she tells her daughters that their future husbands own their body. Olfa's a strong, independent woman who perpetuates misogynistic views.

Overall, Four Daughters an engrossing story about a family and intergenerational trauma. For a movie with such an emphasis on female empowerment, though, it largely glides over the key question I was wondering when I walked into the movie: why would a woman want to join ISIS and enter a group where they have far fewer rights than they do before? The film never really goes there. There's discussion of the cultural changes after the Tunisian revolution, the increased number of radical street preachers, and the daughters starting to wear niqabs, but the documentary never seriously explores the question. The eldest daughters' decisions once radicalized are played out in a few scenes, but the radicalization itself happens off screen, and we get surprisingly little discussion of the how and why.

This film made me question my views on trauma, loss, abuse and how people deal with it.

[iriskoopman-83948 · 8/10 · 29 April 2024]

Four daughters is a film like no other. Mixing documentary with reenactment of the past with actors is as interesting as it is confusing to watch.

I found the untreated trauma, lack of emotional development and self reflection of Olfa painful to watch, eventhough the film gave a good glance on what life can look like as a victim of generational trauma. I wouldn't say I completely understand her actions but it's clear how her experiences broke her judgement on what's good and bad.

And for the youngest daughters, I very much hope they get the treatment and rest they deserve. Some say the making of the film might have been therapeutic for them, but I highly question that. The point where the male actor stopped the scene on the bed was heartbreaking and made me question whether the makers understood what they were dealing with.

I feel like both Olfa and her daughters - who are adults (looking at their behavior I thought they were younger), are not aware enough of their own trauma to judge whether partaking in such a film is a good thing for them. Same goes for the makers. But then again, the fact that I think that might say more about me and how i view trauma, therapy and personal choice than about them.

incredibly powerful movie, in so many ways

[omarkrichen · 9/10 · 8 July 2023]

Incrediby strange and powerful and emotional film. In a sense, it is a movie about film-making, since we see the actors and the real people the documentary is about interacting in the scenes, between the scenes, and in the research phase. I had moment of pure outbursts of laughter intertwined with moments of unease and even horror depicting the tragedy of olfa and her daughters relations and bleak life choices. The mother, played by the real woman the documentary is about, is an extremely complex, charismatic, violent, funny, overbearing, relatable character who steals every scene, even in the presence of professional actresses.

Powerful film about generational trauma, memories, womanhood and culture

[chenp-54708 · 10/10 · 25 December 2023]

Filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania has created an interesting fictional documentary that remains powerful and emotional with strong themes explored, great conversations between the characters and actors and Hania's approach on the realism. Hania had previously made The Man Who Sold His Skin and Beauty and the Dogs which while they aren't perfect, they are ambitious Tunisian movies that are defiantly with a watch. Four Daughters might just be Hania's best work so far.

Hania's direction and approach on the film is perfect as she is able to balance out the setting and themes of the troubles of the Islamic system and it's consequences and affects on the characters. The themes of motherhood, violence, culture and memories are well-explored and the dialogue and commentaries were though-provoking and interesting to observe. Many of the actors that are portraying the characters for the documentary were interesting to observe as each actor brings out the best emotions and complexity of the character situations, setting and personalities without feeling out of place. They all had interesting things to say and many are really likable.

Many of the camerawork is pretty good, the color presentation is beautiful, and the conversations between the actors are well-done. There are some lines and moments that are still burned into my memory because of how well and powerful they were. There wasn't a single boring moment throughout as I was both meant with emotions of laughter, tears and slightly horrified due to the contexts it explored. Having won the L'Oeil d'or award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, I can see why.

Overall, it's definitely a bit different on the typical documentary approach but I absolutely loved how powerful and emotional the movie is.

Wow, ok

[johnnmark · 9/10 · 7 February 2024]

You're probably reading this with the benefit of hindsight but as I am writing it in Feb 2024, I can't help but wonder what's going to happen at the Oscars. This should be a close one. 20 Days in Mariupol is a hard core documentary and really powerful one (I would say still in pole position for the golden bald guy) but Four Daughters is a wonderful film. It deserves at least just as much to win.

The way it's laid out, the structure, the perspective, even a healthy dose of suspense. Very insightful, very daring, brave, unforgiving. Its shortcomings are minimal and have to do with the style - I would have appreciated a stronger cinematic touch, slightly more careful camera work to compliment its originality. And perhaps more clarity here and there.

But other than that, wonderful.

the best film at MAMI'23

[GrimSage1123 · 10/10 · 22 December 2023]

It's an incredible film (documentary) with heart-wrenching, funny and highly nuanced performances. It wouldn't be right to call it a "performance" as the reality is literally unfolding in front of your eyes. But still. The film, for me, has completely blurred the lines between what is real and what is not. By the end of the film, I was left with a funny feeling in my stomach, and its a rare feeling for all I believe. I hope it comes out on a platform soon so that it reaches the right kind of audience and gets the appreciation it deserves.

The filmmaker, the actors, and lastly Olfa and her daughters -- they all have my heart.

Independence, Society, and Radicalization

[isaacsundaralingam · 10/10 · 7 March 2024]

One of the finest movies of the year, Kaouther Ben Hania's "Four Daughters" offers an illuminating exposé into family dynamics and generational trauma within a radically repressive society. Following a single mother and her two youngest daughters re-enacting their childhood with stand-in actors portraying the mother (for whenever she is overwhelmed playing herself) and her two oldest daughters who eventually went on to join the Islamic State, the movie brilliantly navigates the trauma and the bitterness of their tragic past without ever appearing distasteful.

With one of Tunisia's most talented contemporary directors at the helm, Kaouther Ben Hania presents an expertly crafted documentary that stresses the importance of independence, education, and societal deradicalization.

A Worthwhile Story Deserving of Better Treatment

[brentsbulletinboard · 4/10 · 29 December 2023]

Fusing fact and fiction is a precarious undertaking for a filmmaker, especially when it comes to matters of clarity and credibility. And that's where this latest offering from writer-director Kaouther Bin Hania misses the mark. This fact-based story about Olfa Hamrouni, a Tunisian single mother who loses her two eldest daughters, Ghofrane and Rahma, to the radical recruitment efforts of ISIL while trying to protect her two youngest daughters, Eya and Tayssir, from befalling a comparable fate struggles mightily to tell a coherent tale. The film clumsily mixes interviews with family members and dramatic reenactments of significant events featuring actors portraying the principals (some inexplicably playing several roles). To complicate matters, this release features an inordinate amount of superfluous material as well as seemingly important gaps in the story, often leaving viewers scratching their heads about how the narrative gets from one unrelated (and sometimes seemingly contradictory) development to the next. Add to that a relevant revelation that doesn't appear until late in the film (with virtually no prior back story to support it), and you've got a patchwork accounting of what otherwise appears to be a moving and heartfelt tale that deserves greater intelligibility and a better overall delivery. What's more, this offering includes a considerable amount of material about how this production is being put together, a modestly interesting sidebar that might make for an informative bonus feature, but the inclusion of these largely incidental segments within the primary narrative adds little and serves more to needlessly bog down the flow of the film. Given the foregoing, I'm at a loss to understand why this "documentary" (a term I use loosely) has received the amount of attention and adulation that it has garnered, especially in film festival and awards season competitions. Bin Hania has indeed established herself as a talented filmmaker in other releases (especially those of a purely fictional nature), such as the outstanding Oscar-nominated offering, "The Man Who Sold His Skin" (2020), but she seems out of her league here. That's unfortunate since Olfa's saga is one that appears to be well worth telling and doesn't receive the treatment it truly deserves.

Emotional, unique and exceptional

[martinpersson97 · 10/10 · 26 April 2024]

This incredible hybrid film of a drama and documentary, is definitely one deserving of all the acclaim it has gotten, and a very given Oscar nominee in every sense of the word.

It is a very human story; starting off rather lighthearted, lots of humour and everyday situations, and gradually developing into something more dark, haunting and incredibly important in today's and future society. The usage of documentary, mixed with drama is a genius and unique move, that excells this artistic masterpiece above many of its peers. Very splendidly written and paced, very beautiful and sad,

The cinematography, cutting and editing is splendid, very much the work of a master, and very beautifully put together, once again vowing together drama and documentary splendidly.

Overall, truly a masterpiece that is highly recommended for any lover of film, and important for all!