After completing her diploma at ERAC (Acting School for the Cannes Region), Houda Benyamina gained training as a director through the 1000 Faces association, which she founded in 2006 as a way of democratizing cinema. This structure allowed her to make her first short film, “Ma poubelle géante,” which attracted the attention of producer Marc-Benoit Créancier. Her medium-length feature “Sur la route du paradis” won many awards on the festival circuit.

“Divines” will premiere at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival on May 19.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words?

HB: Dounia is nicknamed “bastard” in her district; she starts dealing dope, assisted by her best friend and soulmate Mamounia, in the hope she will be more respected and powerful. “Divines” is a political film, but it is also a human story about love, friendship, and Dounia’s journey to adulthood.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

HB: I saw a documentary several years ago where young offenders in custody were dancing a traditional African dance in front of dumbfounded policemen, who themselves looked like district youth workers; this image stayed with me and inspired me.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

HB: Firstly, I would like them to engage with their emotions before thinking too deeply about the film. I hope that after laughing, crying, and falling in love with the two girls at the heart of the story, the audience will question our society, our place in it, and the importance of an emotional connection in all of this. I would like everybody to wonder about the nature and meaning of one’s personal quest.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

HB: I wanted to start with realism but end with a dream, as both are linked. I wanted to find some truth that would surpass what we see. In “Sur La Route Du Paradis,” my short feature film, we kept the actors in shot throughout, which enhanced their performances but to the detriment of lyricism. With “Divines,” I wanted to go further: I abstained from nothing.

There were challenges throughout the shoot — fights, riots, and fires. All of these situations resulted in a lot of technical requirements. Everything and everybody had to look natural and normal, despite very specific direction.

Julien Poupard (Director of Photography) — a real “Speedy Gonzales” — and his team managed to find solutions that worked in limited time. The shoot itself was really hard: we had little or no time for breaks, so everybody had to support each other.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made

HB: “Divines” is the first feature film produced by Marc-Benoît Créancier (Easy Tiger), so it was exciting to set off on this journey together. We still have a lot to prove and we have been on equal footing since the beginning. Romain Compingt — my co-writer — joined us with the same state of mind. Together, all three of us were involved in sourcing finance.

I think that being such a tight team and so enthusiastic worked in our favor. Our first step was to obtain the “avance sur recettes,” financial aid from the CNC, [the National Center of Cinematography and the moving image.]Marc knew when we were likely to receive it and prepped me for the oral presentation like a chief of staff would prepare a politician.

His second battle was to find a distributor that believed in us. After no TV channels came through, we convinced France 2 at the very last moment. We owe the rest of the financing to the SOFICAS (French cinema tax shelters) and the region Île de France.

W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film presented in Cannes?

HB: I am very proud and like my main character Dounia, I want recognition for the production team that worked so selflessly. To be selected for the Cannes Film Festival is a reward and proof that commitment and self-sacrifice pay off.

For all the young people I train with at 1000 Faces, my organization aimed at making cinema more accessible, this selection means hope. It shows them that everything is possible if you love something and work hard for it.

I am all the happier to be part of Directors’ Fortnight as I admire Edouard Waintrop and his film tastes. His selection shows a true freedom: he takes risks and trusts his own feelings.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

HB: Loïc Lallemand — my film editor — gave me the best advice I can think of. We went through some hard stages where I had lots of doubts; I was afraid of producing a second-rate film. One day he wrote to me, “I never lose. I win or I learn.” This helped me understand my film’s strengths and weaknesses.

I was sometimes advised during the shooting not to try so hard in my attempt for perfection. My colleagues did not always understand when I went for another take. They would say “It’s good,” but to me, “good” is not enough: I always want more.

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

HB: “Have balls” or should I say “Have tits”? Don’t give up, accept when you change your mind, and trust your instincts when you work.

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

HB: Jane Campion’s “The Piano.” Campion is one of the most important filmmakers. Her films are based on emotion and intellect, on magnitude and sensitivity. What she does is political, universal, and powerful. I also like how Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Xavier Dolan succeed in getting under the skin of their female characters.

W&H: What are the filmmaking opportunities for women in your country? Have you seen recent improvements? What do you think needs to be done to see some change?

HB: Like across the rest of the world, French cinema is misogynist, white, and “bourgeois” — and the figures show this. Women’s film budgets are far lower than men’s and as a result they are underrepresented in blockbusters. Why should women, unlike men, have to fight to become visible? You must fight hard as a woman and we must clamor for our rights.

You can see the effects of injustice in fiction films where there is a lack of “interesting” female characters. With Romain Compingt, whose writing shows a real sensitivity, we wanted to reverse the codes and destroy the regular clichés. In “Divines,” the female character fights to succeed whereas Djigui, the male character, has the part that normally falls to women in love.

There should be more women in decision-making functions. Otherwise we might have to wait very long before striking a balance, and the system will sacrifice female talents — or any talent — not in agreement with the “dominant power.”