Last Friday, I was invited to the screening of HLM Pussy, the first feature film by Nora El Hourch. We weren't many in that small space, but we were all very attentive to the screen. Engrossed, one could say. Upon leaving, I heard another journalist comment: “This film has power,” and indeed, with the quantity and quality of films currently in theatres, sometimes it’s challenging to choose, but this film is a great success.
I would say that honesty is the key point, a display of a reality that is not dramatised, and even detached from it. Amina (Leah Aubert), Zineb (Salma Takaline), and Djeneba (Médina Diarra) are three teenagers and childhood friends, but everything changes when they have to confront a sexual assault against one of them by a close friend. Many more things come into play there, including a viral video on social media, and they find themselves immersed in an adult world that doesn't belong to them. Nora manages to weave all of this together with the sensitivity and respect that such a complex topic deserves. We had the opportunity to speak with her before the release of the film on Spanish theatres and understand a little more about what lies behind HLM Pussy.
Good morning, Nora. You’re here in Spain to present HLM Pussy, your debut film, which premieres today (April 12th) in theatres. How are you feeling? Nervous?
I'm very excited! Also, presenting it in Spain makes me very happy because I feel it's a country very engaged in the feminist movement.
Precisely because of that, I wanted to ask you how you expect the Spanish audience to react to the film.
It's a film I've fought for for ten years, and if it can help, accompany, or save just one person, that's more than enough. So, we'll see how the Spanish audience reacts, but if it makes them think and or reflect, I'll be happy.
Ten years, that's a long journey. What sparked this whole process?
In fact, I wanted to make a film that addressed two things: dual identity, carried by Amina and experienced by myself as half Moroccan, half French. And I also wanted to address the issue of consent and sexual assault. I would have liked to make a film dedicated to each issue, but I didn't know if I could make a second film, because in the audiovisual world, we never know if we'll be lucky enough. So I told myself, when in doubt, try to create a film that combines these two themes. And thus HLM Pussy was born, and inevitably, several other sub-themes emerged.
It was very important for me to make this film because I too have been a victim of sexual assault, and the idea that it might help someone else is what kept me going for ten years. And it was long. It was a long time, but it was worth it as soon as I saw the audience's reaction, the messages I receive, the support – it's incredible.
It was very important for me to make this film because I too have been a victim of sexual assault, and the idea that it might help someone else is what kept me going for ten years. And it was long. It was a long time, but it was worth it as soon as I saw the audience's reaction, the messages I receive, the support – it's incredible.
I personally thank you for bringing to light something that unfortunately happens to most women and doing it as honestly as your film does. I wanted to start with the title HLM Pussy. Pussy I know what it means, but I'd like to know what ‘HLM’ means.
The HLMs are those large towers found in the outskirts of French cities, the famous Banlieue. Specifically, HLM stands for Habitation à Loyer Modéré, which in Spain would be moderate-income housing, and that's where Djeneba and Zineb live.
As I travelled with this film, I realised that in France, it's very common to gather low-income people in towers on the outskirts, while the wealthy live in the city centre.
As I travelled with this film, I realised that in France, it's very common to gather low-income people in towers on the outskirts, while the wealthy live in the city centre.
That difference in privileges is very present throughout the film. Amina clearly has a much more privileged economic situation than her friends, Djeneba and Zineb. Do you think feminism takes a back seat when there's a much more complex or less privileged social and economic context?
Amina is born into a family where she receives an education on consent. Her mother is a lawyer and advocate for women's rights, which means that Amina grew up with vocabulary related to these issues. Her home is an environment where one can openly discuss any topic. Therefore, she carries this struggle with her, almost as a legacy from mother to daughter. When Amina acts clumsily in certain situations, she does so from a place of love, but also from the perspective that her way of thinking is universal.
However, she doesn't consider that her friends, who come from different social, cultural, and economic backgrounds, face other significant challenges, such as financial problems, racial discrimination, or religious differences. These differences mean that their priorities are not the same, nor do they feel the same urgency in certain struggles.
The film explores the existence of two MeToo movements: one representing the privileged classes and the other representing the less fortunate. You can't expect a woman from a privileged social class and another from a disadvantaged class to address the fight for women's rights with the same intensity or priority. However, it also shows that it is through mutual understanding that unity can be found and working together towards a common goal. But it's crucial to understand that a single perspective cannot be imposed on these issues.
However, she doesn't consider that her friends, who come from different social, cultural, and economic backgrounds, face other significant challenges, such as financial problems, racial discrimination, or religious differences. These differences mean that their priorities are not the same, nor do they feel the same urgency in certain struggles.
The film explores the existence of two MeToo movements: one representing the privileged classes and the other representing the less fortunate. You can't expect a woman from a privileged social class and another from a disadvantaged class to address the fight for women's rights with the same intensity or priority. However, it also shows that it is through mutual understanding that unity can be found and working together towards a common goal. But it's crucial to understand that a single perspective cannot be imposed on these issues.
What do you think the film communicates about the responsibility of privileged women in the feminist struggle?
Simply that they should not impose their view of things but learn from other women, understand that we cannot all move forward at the same pace. For example, at the beginning of the film, Amina is very committed to the revolution, while Zineb only gets there at the end. Zineb takes several days, weeks, to understand and join this struggle. We must try to understand others and understand that we all move at different speeds depending on our social and cultural contexts.
Zineb experiences sexual assault by someone very close to her, which creates an extremely complex situation as she finds herself affected by feelings of affection towards her aggressor. What has been your experience in developing the character of the aggressor from a more ambiguous perspective, contrasting with traditional film narratives?
In reality, sexual assaults as shown in the film Irreversible are very rare. It's more common for them to happen within our close circle, whether in the family or with friends. And this complicates things even more because when it happens, it's very difficult to admit it because we know it will trigger a tsunami in our close environment.
I didn't want to write an aggressor who was completely bad or good but one with nuances, one who lacks the codes of consent and who, in his mind, believes he is acting out of love because he feels he has the right to possess the other person. I wanted to convey that complexity, that ambiguity and contradiction that we all have in our relationships. It's true that I've received criticism for the ending of the film. She shows him affection, kisses him, and tells him she'll never forget him. For me, it was very important to show because it reflects the complexity of that relationship.
I didn't want to write an aggressor who was completely bad or good but one with nuances, one who lacks the codes of consent and who, in his mind, believes he is acting out of love because he feels he has the right to possess the other person. I wanted to convey that complexity, that ambiguity and contradiction that we all have in our relationships. It's true that I've received criticism for the ending of the film. She shows him affection, kisses him, and tells him she'll never forget him. For me, it was very important to show because it reflects the complexity of that relationship.
I have to tell you that when I was younger, I used to attend all the demonstrations, raise my voice against any injustice or sexism; I was quite like Amina, and this film makes me think about the new generation. Do you think the new post-MeToo generations are coming in stronger?
I love your journey! (laughs). I believe this new generation is facing a world in complete chaos with abuse issues they can't avoid facing, they must address. Therefore, there's a part of their childhood, of the innocence that should exist at their age, that they simply cannot experience. We see it clearly with figures like Greta Thunberg, who has been involved in adult struggles from a very young age. And I think this generation will go even further than ours because they're not afraid. They confront everything, even in sexual matters; there's a kind of freedom where they face situations head-on.
Moreover, they have social media, which is a weapon, although it also presents challenges, as seen in the movie. But in the end, it's their tool and allows them to challenge a judicial system that moves too slowly and is not severe enough in condemning assault crimes. So, in a way, young people take ownership of social media and fight with it because legal weapons aren't working. There's something about this generation, a kind of determination where they dive straight in, go straight to the point, and we'll see where they land, but, in any case, they're cleansing our society, and I really admire that.
Moreover, they have social media, which is a weapon, although it also presents challenges, as seen in the movie. But in the end, it's their tool and allows them to challenge a judicial system that moves too slowly and is not severe enough in condemning assault crimes. So, in a way, young people take ownership of social media and fight with it because legal weapons aren't working. There's something about this generation, a kind of determination where they dive straight in, go straight to the point, and we'll see where they land, but, in any case, they're cleansing our society, and I really admire that.
What message do you send to our readers, especially the younger ones, to encourage them to watch the movie?
It's a message of hope. To paraphrase the movie: “To us, black ants, they'll see us.”
Lastly, I would like you to explain that proverb: “In the black night, on the black stone, a black ant, God sees it.” What does it mean to you?
It means that wherever we go, whatever happens to us, it's always for a reason, but we're never alone, and we must be strong.
