Zouina, her children, and her ferocious mother–in–law arrive in chilly northern France from Algeria to join a husband whom she barely knows. The illiterate Zouina is a virtual slave whose only happiness comes on Sundays, when she sneaks out of the house to play with her children and search for the other Algerian family she has heard lives in town. Benguigui's vivid semi-autobiographical feature is rich with humor, heart, a haunting score, and consistently fine performances. The lovely Fejria Deliba is especially good as budding feminist Zouina.