Chokri

Monia first grabbed the spotlight as an actress in Xavier Dolan’s Les Amours imaginaires and Laurence Anyways, but she had already been nurturing a desire to get behind the camera to observe the world and tell stories in her own way. In 2013, Nancy Grant produced Monia’s first short film, Quelqu’un d’extraordinaire, which she wrote and directed. It went on to win 7 awards, including Best Narrative Short at SXSW and Best Short Film at the Jutra Awards. Her first feature, La femme de mon frère, won the Prix Coup de cœur du jury at Cannes. She followed that with Babysitter (awarded at Monte-Carlo and selected for Sundance) and Simple comme Sylvain (winning the César for Best Foreign Film). In 2026, she presided over the Caméra d’or jury at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. Monia’s directing work is always carefully crafted and tenderly observed, creating distinct universes where characters can bring her stories to life with a truth that feels light yet profound.