Foued Nabba

Foued Nabba’s name doesn’t get splashed across billboards, but if you’ve been digging into French cinema lately, you’ve probably bumped into his work without realizing it. Take “Chouf” from 2016, for example. It’s gritty, real, and soaks you in the tension of Marseille’s underbelly, following a young guy sucked into the drug game after his brother gets killed. Foued’s fingerprints are all over the way the story refuses to sugarcoat anything—life’s messy, and the movie doesn’t shy away from that. Then there’s “The Stronghold” (2020), which, honestly, is a wild ride. It throws you right in the middle of this police unit fighting to keep the peace in the roughest parts of town. The movie’s got this relentless energy, and you can tell Foued’s approach is about showing the chaos and camaraderie, not just the action. It’s tense as hell, with characters who feel like they could be your neighbors—flawed, funny, desperate to do the right thing even when the world’s falling apart around them. And “Wingwomen” (2023) flips the usual script. Instead of another generic heist flick, you get a crew of women pulling off daring jobs, mixing sharp dialogue with wild stunts. Foued brings a fresh vibe, letting the chemistry pop between the leads, and you can feel the influence in the way the film balances laughs with genuine stakes. Nabba’s style? Raw, unpolished, but there’s always this heartbeat underneath—the messy, unpredictable pulse of real life that makes his movies stick with you long after the credits roll.