The coming-of-age story of a teenage Algerian girl born and raised in France—set against the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Algeria in the 1990s.
Paris, 1993—Selma, 17, lives in a bourgeois and secular Berber family in the suburbs. When she meets Julien, a forward young man in college, she realizes for the first time how the heavy rules of the patriarchy directly affect her intimacy. She decides to resist and fight. As Selma discovers the power and dangers of her own desire, her family starts to crumble, and Islamism takes over her country of origin. Inspired by the ancient strength of her people, Selma sets out on the perilous journey to become a free woman.
