Sophia: Jessica Brown Findlay and Dhafer L’Abidine Star in New Tunisian Child Kidnap Drama Premiering at Marrakech Film Festival
Jessica Brown Findlay stars in the upcoming film Sophia, which follows a British woman traveling to Tunisia with her daughter, Sophia, to reconnect with her estranged father, played by L’Abidine. Despite warnings from her family, the journey takes a troubling turn when Sophia goes missing shortly after their arrival.
The film is set to make its world premiere at the Marrakech Film Festival, where it will be showcased at a red-carpet gala screening on Tuesday night. Sophia had previously participated in the festival’s Atlas Workshops project incubator last year, during its post-production phase.
L’Abidine, known for his work across Europe, the Middle East, and Hollywood, continues to maintain a busy schedule. His previous credits include British dramas such as The Bill and Casualty, in addition to international projects like A Hologram to the King, The Eddy, and Brides of Beirut. He recently appeared in the Palestinian Oscar submission Palestine 36 and the Egyptian hit film Elsellem Wel Te’ban 2, and he arrives in Marrakech after serving on the jury at the Doha Film Festival.
Sophia marks L’Abidine’s third feature film, following his acclaimed debut, Ghodwa, which was shortlisted for the Golden Globe Awards and won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Cairo International Film Festival. His second film, To My Son, secured the Best Film award and received a Special Mention for Screenwriting at the Hollywood Arab Film Festival.
In addition to Brown Findlay and L’Abidine, the cast features Jonathan Hyde (The Brutalist), Kais Setti, Hiba Abouk, and newcomer Maya Celine Gharbi. The film is produced by L’Abidine’s Tunis-based Double A Productions in collaboration with UK’s New Sparta, while Mad World is managing international sales.
