Honey & Ashes Award-winning Film

Miel et Cendres

“Desire is often the first act of rebellion.”

Poster for Honey & Ashes, an award-winning film by Nadia Fares, showing a woman behind a glass partition facing an outstretched hand.

Premiering at the Locarno Film Festival, "Honey and Ashes" is an award-winning film that received critical acclaim for its emotionally rich storytelling, sensual visual style, and nuanced portrayal of women navigating tradition and modernity in North Africa. Critics praised director Nadia Fares for creating intimate, compassionate portraits that transcend stereotypes while giving voice to women forging their own paths.

International feature film
Writer and director: Nadia Fares
Produced by: Dschoint Ventschr, Switzerland and CTV, Tunisia
Distributor: Vanguard Cinema & 7th Art Release USA
Languages: Tunisian, Arabic, French with English subtitles
Format: 35mm
Duration: 90 mins.

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Honey & Ashes Award-winning Film

Honey and Ashes (Miel et Cendres) is the internationally acclaimed debut feature by Swiss-Egyptian filmmaker Nadia Fares. Premiering in the Official Competition of the Locarno Film Festival, the film established Fares as a bold new cinematic voice through its emotionally powerful storytelling, striking visual style, and nuanced portrayal of women navigating identity, freedom, and cultural expectations.

Set in North Africa, Honey and Ashes follows two women whose friendship becomes a journey of self-discovery against the backdrop of a patriarchal society. Blending intimate character drama with broader social realities, the film explores themes of belonging, resilience, and the search for personal freedom across cultures.

The film received international critical acclaim, earning multiple festival awards, including the SKYY Prize for Best First Feature at the San Francisco International Film Festival, an award created to introduce outstanding emerging international filmmakers to the U.S. market. It also received recognition at the Namur International Francophone Film Festival, FESPACO, CINÉMED, and the Locarno Film Festival, where it won the Ecumenical Jury Prize.

Critics praised Fares' confident direction, visual sensitivity, and emotionally resonant storytelling. Variety described the film as "edgy and intelligent," while reviewers highlighted its sensual imagery, compelling performances, and fresh perspective on the condition of women in the Arab world.

““As the daughter of a Swiss mother and an Egyptian father, I carry two cultures within me. During my childhood and teenage years, my oriental roots remained hidden, and it was only later that I began to explore them. That was a revelation. My film “Honey and Ashes” was the first step on a twisting path that brings me back inexorably to my roots.””

— From the Director Nadia Fares