49 Reasons Why 2016 Wasn't as Bad as You Think

The Divines

Divines Image by France 1

By Nadja Spiegelman December 27, 2016

‘Divines,” by French-Moroccan director Houda Benyamina, is set in the suburbs of Paris. The teenage Dounia and Maimouna know the limits of what the world will offer them and still dare to want more. A story of friendship told with the gravity of a love story, a hymn to hope and to hopelessness, the film swings wildly between flamboyant hilarity and heart-piercing tragedy, and leaves you breathless. This movie, director Benyamina’s first, is the best I’ve seen in several years. It was the talk of Paris this past fall — and it’s now available for streaming on Netflix.

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