Têtes brûlées follows 12-year-old Eya. Eya has a close bond with her older brother Younès, whom she admires greatly. She spends her days with him and his group of friends. Until one night, when Younès is tragically killed. Eya must find her way through the intense and highly ritualised period of mourning. Drawing on her creativity, resilience and the support of Younès’s friends, she must find a way to come to terms with her loss.

Têtes brûlées is the impressive feature film debut of Belgian director Maja-Ajmia Yde Zellama, who immediately establishes a strong personal voice with this film. The story is told with great sensitivity and authenticity and manages to strike a particularly direct chord with a young audience. 

Following the screening, the poet Yousra Benfquih will be in conversation with the director. To allow sufficient time for the discussion that will follow, the film will start at 7.30 pm.

DIRECTOR: MAJA-AJMIA YDE ZELLAMA; GENRE: FICTION FILM; CAST: SAFA GHARBAOUI, MEHDI BOUZIANE; 2026; BELGIUM; 1H 24M; SPOKEN IN ARABIC, DUTCH AND FRENCH, WITH DUTCH SUBTITLES

Image: Nohad Sammari