Synopsis

2009. Zaineb is nine years old and has lived with her mother and younger brother in Tunis since her father died in a car accident.

But when her mother expresses the desire to rebuild her life with a man who lives in Canada, Zaineb rejects the idea.

She has no confidence in her stepfather, nor in that new country, and on top of all, she doesn’t like snow!



Zaineb is a nine-year-old Tunisian girl who loses her father in a car accident. After the grief comes a new shock: her mother has fallen in love with an old flame who moved to Canada; he was married but is now divorced.

Zaineb is appalled at the idea of a stepdad and a move to Canada, but this is just what happens 18 months later. She usually puts on a brave face, but she’s in tears as she says goodbye to her classmates. In Canada Zaineb shares a room with her new stepsister, who is also unsure how she feels about the situation.

Kaouther Ben Hania, a cousin of Zaineb’s mother, follows the events closely, skillfully capturing the emotional charge of everyday moments. In this captivating portrait of adolescence, the leap into a new world with a different culture and religion is treated with a lightness of touch.

At the same time, it works as an excellent metaphor for the confusing process known as growing up. The years that follow remain turbulent – Zaineb has barely managed to embrace her Canadian life when new changes appear on the horizon. (IDFA)