Amal (2023 film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Amal

| native_name =

| image = Amal (2023 film).jpg

| caption = Film poster

| director = Jawad Rhalib

| producer = Geneviève Lemal

| writer = {{plainlist|

Jawad Rhalib
David Lambert
Chloé Léonil

}}

| starring = {{plainlist|

}}

| music =

| cinematography = Lisa Willame

| editing = Nicolas Rumpl

| studio = Scope Pictures

| distributor = Telescope

| released = {{film date|2023|10|12|Ghent|2024|02|7|df=y}}

| runtime = 107 minutes

| country = Belgium

| language = French
Arabic

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Amal is a 2023 Belgian drama film directed by Jawad Rhalib and written by Rhalib, David Lambert, and Chloé Léonil. It stars Lubna Azabal as Amal, a high school literature teacher in Brussels, whose decision to teach the works of Arabic poet Abu Nuwas sparks resistance from her community. The cast also features Fabrizio Rongione, Catherine Salée, Kenza Benboutcha, Ethelle Gonzalez Lardued, Johan Heldenbergh, Babetida Sadjo, and Mehdy Khachachi.

The film had its world premiere at the 50th Ghent Film Festival on 12 October 2023.{{cite web |last1=Engelen |first1=Aurore |title=Ghent 2023 Review: Amal |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/451340/ |website=Cineuropa |access-date=23 January 2025 |date=17 October 2023}} It received critical acclaim for its portrayal of the conflicts between personal beliefs and societal expectations as well as for its screenplay and cast performances. At the 14th Magritte Awards, Amal received nine nominations, including Best Film and Best Director for Rhalib, winning Best Actress for Azabal.{{cite web |title=Magritte du cinéma 2025: 'La nuit se traîne', nommé 11 fois, en tête des nominations de la 14e édition |url=https://www.lalibre.be/culture/cinema/2025/01/21/magritte-du-cinema-2025-la-nuit-se-traine-nomme-11-fois-en-tete-des-nominations-de-la-14e-edition-NQTR67YEZND4REZAVZSZ65P6UI/ |website=La Libre |access-date=22 January 2025 |language=fr |date=21 January 2025}}

Plot

The film centers on Amal (Lubna Azabal), a dedicated literature teacher who aims to create a space for free expression in her classroom. Her choice to include the controversial works of Arabic poet Abu Nuwas in her curriculum leads to backlash, initially from her students and eventually from their parents. This opposition grows into a campaign of harassment, leaving Amal increasingly isolated and under pressure. The story also highlights the experiences of her students, including Monia (Kenza Benboutcha), a lesbian teenager facing bullying, and Rachid (Mehdy Khachachi), the nephew of Nabil (Fabrizio Rongione), a religion teacher and imam at the school.

Critical reception

Amal has been widely praised for its nuanced portrayal of complex social issues and the strength of its performances, with particular emphasis on the young cast. The review aggregator website Cinebel assigned the film a weighted average score of 8.5 out of 10, based on four critics.{{cite web |url=https://cinebel.dhnet.be/film/1024979/Amal |title=Amal |work=La Dernière Heure|access-date=23 January 2025|language=French}}

Accolades

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

! scope="col"|Award / Film Festival

! scope="col"|Category

! scope="col"|Recipients and nominees

! scope="col"|Result

rowspan=2|Días de cine{{cite web |title=Los vinos de La Mancha presentes en los Premios ‘Días de Cine’ 2025 |url=https://lamanchawines.com/los-vinos-de-la-mancha-presentes-en-los-premios-dias-de-cine-2025/ |website=La Mancha |access-date=23 January 2025 |language=es |date=16 January 2025}}

|Best International Film

|{{draw|Runner-up}}

Best International Actress

|Lubna Azabal

|{{won}}

rowspan=9|Magritte Awards

| {{nom}}

| {{nom}}

|Jawad Rhalib

| {{nom}}

Best Actress

| Lubna Azabal

| {{won}}

Best Supporting Actor

| Fabrizio Rongione

| {{nom}}

Best Supporting Actress

| Catherine Salée

| {{nom}}

rowspan=2|Most Promising Actor

| Amine Hamidou

| {{nom}}

Mehdi Khachachi

| {{nom}}

Most Promising Actress

| Kenza Benbouchta

| {{nom}}

rowspan=2|Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival{{cite web |title=Lubna Azabal wins the Best Actress Award in Tallinn! |url=https://www.wbimages.be/en/news/lubna-azabal-gagne-le-prix-de-la-meilleure-actrice-a-tallinn0/ |publisher=WB Images |access-date=23 January 2025 |date=17 November 2023}}

|Grand Prix

|{{nom}}

Best Actress

|Lubna Azabal

|{{won}}