CinemaNA: Promised Sky - Erige Sehiri

A screening of Promised Sky, by French Tunisian filmmaker Erige Sehiri.

Marie, an Ivorian pastor and former journalist, has lived in Tunisia for ten years. Her home becomes a refuge for Naney, a young mother seeking a better future, and Jolie, a strong-willed student carrying her family’s hopes. The arrival of a little orphan girl challenges their sense of solidarity in a tense social climate, revealing both their fragility and strength.

Erige Sehiri

Erige Sehiri is a French Tunisian director, producer, and former journalist whose work bridges documentary realism and narrative cinema. Sehiri began her filmmaking career by directing the acclaimed documentary Railway Men, which captured the daily struggles of Tunisian railway workers.

In 2022, she wrote, directed, and produced her first feature, Under the Fig Trees — an intimate portrait of youth, labor, and fleeting moments of connection set in a rural fig orchard. The film premiered at the 54th Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival and was selected to represent Tunisia at the 95th Academy Awards. It has since screened at major international festivals and released theatrically in over 20 countries.

Beyond her work in film, Sehiri is an active advocate for freedom of expression and media literacy. She is the co-founder of the media group INKYFADA and the Tunisian NGO Al KHATT. She is also a founding member of the Rawiyat – Sisters in Film Collective, which supports women filmmakers across the Arab World and diaspora.

Promised Sky, her second feature film, premiered as part of the 78th Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard.

Cast: Aïssa Maiga, Deborah Christelle Naney, Laetitia Ky, Estelle Kenza Dogbo, Foued Zaazaa, Mohamed Grayaa, Touré Blamassi

Crew

Directed, Co-Written, and Co-Produced By: Erige Sehiri

Screenwriters: Anna Ciennick, Malika Cécile Louati

Producers: Didar Domehri and Erige Shiri

Production Companies: Maneki Films, Henia Production

Cinematographer: Frida Marzouk

Editor: Nadia Ben Rachid

Sound: Aymen Laabidi, Alexis Jung, Simon Apostolou

Music: Valentin Hadjadj

Hair & Make Up: Karine Ourega

French Line Producer: Julien Auer

Tunisian Line Producer: Yasmine Dhoukar

Post-Production Supervisor: Adrien Léongue