Festivals: The Girls from Above (2025) by Bérangère McNeese: Female Ensemble Drama Following Found Family Sororité in Working-Class France

Summary of the Movie: When Runaway Teen Finds Refuge and New Family With Three Struggling Young Women

McNeese crafts intimate debut feature examining fragile sisterhood between four young women sharing Lille apartment creating surrogate family while past traumas threaten their communal survival balance.

• Plot: Héloïse, 15-year-old runaway with nowhere to go, meets Mallorie who invites her into top-floor "sky" apartment shared with two other young women—Nona (supermarket cashier battling addiction), and two others involved in nightclub schemes—creating makeshift family where laughter masks deep wounds threatening their precarious equilibrium.

• Movie Trend: The film joins French social realist dramas examining working-class female solidarity through found family narratives, using intimate ensemble acting and documentary-influenced aesthetics exploring sororité and marginalized women's survival strategies.

• Social Trend: The narrative addresses dysfunctional family systems forcing young women into independence, early motherhood pressures, working-class precarity in northern France, addiction struggles, and alternative family structures created through mutual need versus blood ties.

• Director's Authorship: McNeese brings actress background and short film experience (Matriochkas Magritte winner) to first feature continuing exploration of early motherhood, dysfunctional families, and female community resilience through naturalistic direction.

• Awards and Recognition: Saint-Jean de Luz Festival triple win (Jury Prize, Youth Jury Prize, Collective Best Actress Award for four actresses), FIFF Namur 2025 competition selection, Arras Film Festival demonstrating critical appreciation for ensemble performance and sororité examination.

• Casting as Statement: Four-actress ensemble—Héloïse Volle (returning from Matriochkas short), Shirel Nataf, Yowa-Angélys Tshikaya, Mona Berard—creating authentic working-class chemistry through naturalistic performances avoiding typical melodramatic clichés.

• Release Dates: October 2025 FIFF Namur world premiere competition, Saint-Jean de Luz triple win, Arras Film Festival, November 19, 2025 French theatrical release through Memento Distribution, Belgian release through Cinéart demonstrating French-Belgian co-production strategy.

• Where to Watch Streaming: Theatrical release through Memento (France) and Cinéart (Belgium) with future streaming platforms to be announced, supported by Canal+, Ciné+, RTBF, Be TV, Proximus demonstrating broadcaster backing.

Where to watch: https://pro.festivalscope.com/film/the-girls-from-above (industry professionals)

Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35889287/

Link Review: https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/484480/

About movie: https://www.beforfilms.com/film/girls-from-above

Insights: Actress-Director Background Enables Performance-Focused Direction While Short Film Foundation Creates Thematic Continuity

Industry Insights — Actress Turned Director Success: McNeese's performance experience (H.P.I., Des gens bien series) informing naturalistic ensemble direction. Matriochkas Magritte win establishing credibility enabling feature financing. Consumer Insights — Found Family Resonates: Audiences responding to alternative family structures versus dysfunctional biological families. Working-class female solidarity providing universal connection transcending French specificity. Brand Insights — Franco-Belgian Co-Production: Paprika Films and Kwassa Films partnership demonstrating regional collaboration model. Creative Europe and multiple broadcaster support enabling debut feature.

Film demonstrates how short film success combined with actress experience can enable first feature examining marginalized female communities.

Why It Is Trending: Saint-Jean de Luz Triple Win and Collective Actress Recognition

The film generates attention through Saint-Jean de Luz Festival triple award sweep including rare Collective Best Actress recognition, actress-director debut narrative, and timely sororité themes.

• Saint-Jean de Luz Triple Win: Jury Prize, Youth Jury Prize, and Collective Best Actress Award for all four actresses creating festival momentum and critical validation for ensemble achievement.

• Actress-Director Debut: McNeese's transition from Belgian TV series (H.P.I. TF1 success) to directing creating cross-media career evolution narrative with Matriochkas Magritte establishing filmmaker credibility.

• Collective Acting Recognition: Rare ensemble award (Héloïse Volle, Shirel Nataf, Yowa-Angélys Tshikaya, Mona Berard) demonstrating chemistry and naturalistic performance quality transcending individual star focus.

• Sororité Theme Timeliness: Film examining female solidarity and found family resonating with contemporary conversations about alternative support structures and women's community resilience.

Insights: Festival Momentum Amplifies Visibility While Collective Recognition Highlights Ensemble Chemistry

Industry Insights — Debut Feature Festival Success: Triple win establishing critical credibility for first-time director. Collective acting award demonstrating ensemble direction quality unusual for debuts. Consumer Insights — Found Family Universal: Audiences appreciating alternative kinship structures versus traditional families. Youth jury recognition indicating young audience connection to marginalized character experiences. Brand Insights — Belgian Filmmaker Recognition: McNeese joining Belgian cinema talent demonstrating national industry strength. French-Belgian collaboration enabling cross-border financing and distribution.

Trending status reflects festival recognition, collective performance appreciation, and timely sororité themes examining working-class female survival.

Why to Watch This Movie: Naturalistic Four-Woman Ensemble Anchors Intimate Sororité Examination

This film offers combination of authentic ensemble chemistry, Lille working-class authenticity, intimate character-driven narrative, and alternative family exploration.

• Collective Actress Performance: Festival award-winning ensemble creating genuine sisterhood chemistry through naturalistic interactions avoiding melodramatic tropes, performances praised for "finesse" and authenticity.

• Working-Class Northern France Setting: Lille metropolitan "sticky" atmosphere creating authentic regional specificity with top-floor "sky" apartment symbolizing escape from harsh ground-level reality.

• Intimate Directorial Approach: McNeese's actress background enabling performance-focused direction with controlled framing creating claustrophobic communal space examining group dynamics and individual wounds.

• Matriochkas Continuity: Héloïse Volle returning from director's Magritte-winning short exploring early motherhood and family dysfunction creating thematic continuation examining young women's lives.

Insights: Performance Chemistry Creates Authenticity While Regional Specificity Grounds Social Examination

Industry Insights — Ensemble Direction Quality: Collective acting award validating McNeese's performance direction skills. Naturalistic approach differentiating from typical French social dramas. Consumer Insights — Alternative Family Appeal: Viewers responding to found family narratives addressing marginalized women creating survival communities. Regional authenticity providing specific versus generic poverty representation. Brand Insights — Lille Setting Significance: Northern France industrial decline context providing socioeconomic background. Working-class female perspective rarely centered in French cinema.

Viewing proposition centers on experiencing authentic ensemble performance examining sororité within working-class survival context.

What Trend Is Followed: French Social Realism and Found Family Female Ensemble Narratives

The film participates in trends examining marginalized female communities through naturalistic ensemble acting and documentary-influenced social realism exploring alternative kinship structures.

• French Social Realist Tradition: Joins films examining working-class precarity, regional economic decline, and marginalized communities through intimate character-driven narratives versus sweeping social critiques.

• Found Family Female Ensembles: Continues tradition of women creating alternative kinship structures outside biological families addressing survival through mutual support and solidarity.

• Early Motherhood Examination: Explores young motherhood pressures, dysfunctional family systems, and premature independence forced on teenagers examining coming-of-age accelerated by trauma.

• Actress-Director Transitions: Demonstrates viable career path from performance to direction bringing actor's perspective to ensemble direction and character development.

Insights: Social Realism Framework Enables Class Examination While Found Family Provides Hope Within Hardship

Industry Insights — Regional French Cinema Strength: Northern France setting providing authentic working-class context. Belgian co-production demonstrating cross-border collaboration viability. Consumer Insights — Sororité Theme Resonance: Female solidarity narratives appealing to audiences seeking alternative family models. Youth jury recognition indicating young audience identification with marginalized experiences. Brand Insights — Matriochkas Legacy: Short film success establishing thematic foundation enabling feature development. Magritte win providing credibility for financing and festival selection.

The film demonstrates how social realist framework can examine working-class female survival through found family ensemble narratives.

Director's Vision: Actress Experience Meets Short Film Thematic Continuation Examining Female Community

McNeese constructs intimate naturalistic examination of marginalized young women creating surrogate families exploring group limits providing home with "locked and bolted doors."

• Performance Background Influence: Director's actress experience (H.P.I., Des gens bien) enabling ensemble direction understanding performance process creating naturalistic character development versus typical directorial approaches.

• Matriochkas Thematic Continuation: Debut feature extending Magritte-winning short's exploration of early motherhood and dysfunctional families with Héloïse Volle returning creating thematic "matrioshka" metaphor of nested narratives.

• Group Limits Exploration: Vision examining "how group can sometimes provide home but one whose doors are locked and bolted" investigating sororité benefits and toxic solidarity boundaries.

• Wings of Desire Reference: Title and rooftop perspective evoking Wenders' angels observing world from above, "sky" apartment providing escape from harsh ground reality creating protective bubble.

Insights: Personal Experience Enables Authentic Direction While Short Success Provides Feature Foundation

Industry Insights — Actress-Director Advantage: Performance background creating unique ensemble direction approach prioritizing chemistry and naturalism. Short film establishing thematic voice enabling feature financing. Consumer Insights — Dysfunctional Family Universal: Audiences recognizing alternative family formation amid biological family failures. Group dynamics examination revealing solidarity's costs alongside benefits. Brand Insights — Belgian TV Visibility: H.P.I. TF1 success providing name recognition enabling feature debut marketing. Actress-director transition creating career evolution narrative.

Directorial vision demonstrates commitment to examining marginalized female communities through naturalistic ensemble performance and thematic continuation.

Key Success Factors: Collective Ensemble Chemistry Meets Festival Recognition Despite Limited Visibility

Film's achievements stem from naturalistic four-actress ensemble, McNeese's performance direction skills, festival triple win, and authentic working-class representation.

• Collective Performance Award: Saint-Jean de Luz recognizing all four actresses (Volle, Nataf, Tshikaya, Berard) demonstrating rare ensemble chemistry and naturalistic quality transcending individual performances.

• McNeese's Direction Quality: Actress background enabling performance-focused approach with controlled framing creating intimate character examination, praised for "very just mise-en-scène" and "mastered plans."

• Authentic Regional Setting: Lille metropolitan working-class context providing specific versus generic poverty representation with northern France industrial decline creating authentic socioeconomic background.

• Franco-Belgian Co-Production: Paprika Films and Kwassa Films partnership securing Creative Europe, CNC, Pictanovo, Canal+, multiple broadcaster support enabling ambitious debut feature financing.

Insights: Ensemble Direction Excellence Drives Recognition While Regional Authenticity Grounds Narrative

Industry Insights — Collective Awards Rare: Saint-Jean de Luz ensemble recognition validating exceptional chemistry quality. Franco-Belgian financing model enabling regional cinema supporting emerging voices. Consumer Insights — Naturalistic Appeal: Audiences responding to performances avoiding melodramatic clichés. Working-class authenticity resonating versus sanitized poverty representations. Brand Insights — Short to Feature Pipeline: Matriochkas Magritte providing credibility enabling feature financing demonstrating Belgian cinema support infrastructure.

Success factors demonstrate how ensemble direction quality combined with authentic regional representation can achieve festival recognition.

Awards and Nominations: Strong Festival Reception Led by Saint-Jean de Luz Triple Win

Film receiving significant critical appreciation through festival recognition highlighting ensemble performance quality and directorial achievement.

• Saint-Jean de Luz Triple Win: Jury Prize, Youth Jury Prize, Collective Best Actress Award demonstrating broad appeal across jury demographics and exceptional ensemble recognition.

• FIFF Namur Competition: 40th edition world premiere in competition demonstrating Belgian national festival support for emerging filmmaker with emotional audience response reported.

• Arras Film Festival Selection: Additional festival recognition building critical momentum and regional French visibility demonstrating appreciation for northern France setting.

• Collective Actress Recognition: Rare ensemble award for Héloïse Volle, Shirel Nataf, Yowa-Angélys Tshikaya, Mona Berard validating chemistry and naturalistic performance quality unusual for debut features.

Insights: Festival Circuit Validates Ensemble Achievement While Regional Support Enables Visibility

Industry Insights — Debut Feature Recognition: Festival awards demonstrating critical appreciation for first-time director's ensemble direction skills. Youth jury indicating young audience connection to marginalized characters. Consumer Insights — Collective Performance Value: Audiences appreciating ensemble chemistry over individual star focus. Naturalistic direction creating authentic emotional resonance. Brand Insights — Belgian Cinema Support: FIFF Namur providing national platform for emerging talent. French festivals recognizing Franco-Belgian collaboration quality.

Awards trajectory demonstrates strong festival appreciation for ensemble performance and authentic working-class female community examination.

Critics Reception: Positive Appreciation for Naturalistic Performances and Sororité Examination

Critical response demonstrates appreciation for ensemble chemistry, authentic working-class representation, and intimate direction despite some pacing and close-up criticisms.

• Format Court Sororité Praise: Review noting film as "history of women's group abstracting from men, fighting patriarchy, counting on exemplary sororité confronting pains and injunctions weighing against women."

• Performance Quality Recognition: Critics praising actresses' "freedom" and "instinct" performances with Héloïse Volle's "finesse" particularly noted, ensemble creating believable "feminine cocoon."

• Letterboxd Authenticity Appreciation: Viewers praising "sincere" team emotion, "perfectly accomplished work" with "very just mise-en-scène," "mastered plans," "precise and sensitive dialogues sounding true."

• Close-Up Criticism: Some reviewers noting excessive close-ups creating fatigue, film "falling into pathos" despite "powerful and impactful" overall achievement.

• Wings of Desire Reference: Reviewers appreciating rooftop perspective evoking Wenders' angels observing world from above, "sky" apartment creating protective observation point.

Insights: Performance Excellence Universal While Intimate Direction Style Creates Some Claustrophobia

Industry Insights — Naturalistic Direction Praised: Critics appreciating performance-focused approach avoiding melodrama. Ensemble chemistry creating believable sisterhood transcending typical social drama conventions. Consumer Insights — Sororité Resonance: Audiences responding to female solidarity examination and patriarchy resistance themes. Working-class authenticity providing specific versus generic poverty representation. Brand Insights — Matriochkas Continuity: Reviewers recognizing thematic continuation from Magritte-winning short establishing directorial voice consistency.

Critical reception demonstrates appreciation for ensemble performances and authentic sororité examination despite some stylistic reservations.

Release Strategy: Festival Circuit Building Regional Theatrical Distribution

Distribution approach maximized festival recognition through Namur world premiere, Saint-Jean de Luz triple win, building toward French-Belgian theatrical releases.

• FIFF Namur World Premiere: October 2025 40th edition competition creating Belgian national visibility with emotional audience reception establishing festival credibility.

• Saint-Jean de Luz Success: Festival triple win (Jury Prize, Youth Jury Prize, Collective Actress Award) creating critical momentum and international recognition for emerging filmmaker focus.

• French-Belgian Theatrical: November 19, 2025 French release through Memento Distribution, Belgian through Cinéart demonstrating co-production territory coverage maximizing regional visibility.

• Broadcaster Support: Canal+, Ciné+, RTBF, Be TV, Proximus backing providing future television and streaming platforms ensuring post-theatrical audience access.

Insights: Festival Strategy Validates Quality While Regional Distribution Maximizes French-Belgian Audience

Industry Insights — Franco-Belgian Model Effective: Co-production enabling festival circuit followed by coordinated theatrical releases across territories. Broadcaster support ensuring future visibility beyond theatrical. Consumer Insights — Regional Audience Priority: Northern France and Belgian settings creating local identification. Festival recognition building word-of-mouth before theatrical releases. Brand Insights — Memento Positioning: French distributor specializing in auteur debuts providing appropriate platform. Be For Films international sales creating potential broader distribution.

Release strategy demonstrates effective festival-to-theatrical pipeline maximizing regional French-Belgian visibility for debut feature.

Trends Summary: French Social Realism, Found Family Sororité, and Actress-Director Transitions Converge Creating Authentic Female Ensemble Drama

Film intersects trends in working-class female solidarity examination, naturalistic ensemble performance, and alternative family structures through intimate character-driven narratives.

Movie Trends	Description	Implications
French Social Realist Tradition	Films examining working-class precarity and marginalized communities through intimate character studies	Creates authentic regional representation addressing economic inequality through personal narratives
Found Family Female Ensembles	Women creating alternative kinship structures outside dysfunctional biological families	Explores survival through mutual support examining sororité benefits and toxic solidarity limits
Actress-Director Transitions	Performers bringing acting experience to directing creating performance-focused approaches	Enables unique ensemble direction prioritizing chemistry and naturalistic character development
Early Motherhood Examination	Films addressing young parenthood pressures and premature independence forced by trauma	Examines coming-of-age acceleration through dysfunctional family systems and survival necessity

Social Trends	Description	Implications
Northern France Economic Decline	Lille metropolitan working-class precarity and industrial region struggles	Provides specific socioeconomic context for marginalized female survival strategies
Alternative Family Formation	Found families created through mutual need versus biological ties	Addresses dysfunctional family systems forcing young people creating survival communities
Sororité Movement	Female solidarity and mutual support networks resisting patriarchal structures	Examines women's community resilience and collective survival despite individual traumas

Consumer Trends	Description	Implications
Ensemble Chemistry Appreciation	Audiences valuing naturalistic group performances over individual star focus	Rewards collective acting awards recognizing ensemble quality transcending conventional casting
Working-Class Authenticity Demand	Viewers seeking specific regional poverty representation versus generic depictions	Creates appetite for authentic socioeconomic contexts grounding marginalized character narratives
Alternative Family Interest	Audiences appreciating non-traditional kinship structures and chosen family narratives	Reflects contemporary questioning of biological family primacy and creation of support communities

Final Verdict: Naturalistic Ensemble Performance Anchors Intimate Sororité Examination Within Working-Class Context

"Les filles du ciel" delivers authentic female solidarity narrative making it essential viewing for audiences appreciating naturalistic ensemble performances and found family examinations.

• Collective Performance Excellence: Saint-Jean de Luz Collective Best Actress award validating Volle, Nataf, Tshikaya, Berard chemistry creating genuine sisterhood through naturalistic interactions avoiding melodrama.

• McNeese's Direction Achievement: Actress background enabling performance-focused approach with controlled intimate framing creating authentic character examination demonstrating accomplished debut vision.

• Working-Class Authenticity: Lille metropolitan setting providing specific northern France industrial decline context grounding marginalized female survival strategies in authentic regional socioeconomics.

• Sororité Complexity: Film examining found family benefits while acknowledging "locked and bolted doors" exploring solidarity's costs alongside community resilience creating nuanced examination.

Insights: Performance Direction Excellence Creates Authenticity While Regional Context Grounds Social Examination

Industry Insights — Actress-Director Success: Performance background creating unique ensemble direction approach demonstrating viable career transition path. Franco-Belgian co-production enabling ambitious debut financing. Consumer Insights — Found Family Resonance: Audiences responding to alternative kinship structures addressing dysfunctional biological families. Naturalistic performances creating emotional authenticity transcending social drama conventions. Brand Insights — Matriochkas Legacy: Magritte-winning short establishing thematic voice providing feature foundation. Belgian cinema supporting emerging talent through infrastructure and financing.

Film represents significant debut achievement examining working-class female community through naturalistic ensemble performance and authentic regional representation.

Trends 2026: Working-Class Female Solidarity and Found Family Alternative Structures

Film participates in defining trends around examining marginalized women creating survival communities through naturalistic ensemble narratives exploring sororité complexities.

• Found Family Formation: Films addressing alternative kinship structures created through mutual need examining benefits and limitations of chosen families.

• French Regional Cinema: Northern France industrial decline context providing authentic working-class representation addressing economic inequality through personal narratives.

• Collective Performance Recognition: Awards acknowledging ensemble chemistry quality transcending individual star focus demonstrating appreciation for group direction excellence.

• Actress-Director Pipeline: Performers transitioning to directing bringing performance experience creating unique ensemble-focused approaches.

Insights: Social Realism Enables Class Examination While Ensemble Focus Creates Authentic Community Portrayal

Industry Insights — Franco-Belgian Collaboration: Regional co-production model enabling emerging filmmaker support. Broadcaster backing ensuring future streaming visibility beyond theatrical. Consumer Insights — Sororité Theme Timeliness: Female solidarity resonating with contemporary alternative family formation conversations. Youth audience connection indicating young identification with marginalized experiences. Brand Insights — Debut Feature Support: Festival circuit providing validation platform. Short film success demonstrating feature development pipeline effectiveness.

Implications for Entertainment Industry

• Collective Acting Recognition: Awards acknowledging ensemble quality encouraging director investment in group chemistry development transcending individual star casting.

• Actress-Director Transitions: Performance background enabling unique direction approaches demonstrating viable career evolution path creating performance-focused filmmaking.

• Regional French Cinema: Northern France working-class contexts providing authentic socioeconomic representation addressing inequality through specific versus generic depictions.

• Found Family Narratives: Alternative kinship structure examination reflecting contemporary family formation diversity beyond biological ties demonstrating audience appetite for non-traditional community stories.

Social Trends 2026: Found Families Replace Failed Systems as Working-Class Women Create Survival Communities

Les filles du ciel reveals how dysfunctional biological families and inadequate state institutions drive young marginalized women toward alternative kinship structures built on mutual need and female solidarity. The film demonstrates northern France's deindustrialized regions forcing working-class women into collective survival strategies where sororité becomes both refuge and potential trap.

• Alternative Kinship Replacing Blood Ties: Héloïse's flight from institutional care into found family demonstrates crisis where traditional families and state systems fail vulnerable youth forcing creation of chosen communities.

• Deindustrialization Concentrating Female Poverty: Lille's post-industrial decline creates geographic poverty pockets where working-class women combine low-wage service work with informal economy participation pooling resources for survival.

• Sororité as Patriarchy Resistance Strategy: Women's deliberate male exclusion creating protective apartment demonstrates feminist separatism where female-only spaces function as domestic violence escape routes countering inadequate institutional protections.

• Toxic Solidarity's Double-Edged Nature: Found family's "locked and bolted doors" reveals how alternative communities providing essential support simultaneously create insularity, codependency, and dysfunction enabling demonstrating chosen families carry unique risks.

• Housing Crisis Driving Collective Living: Four women sharing small top-floor apartment demonstrates affordability crisis forcing household consolidation beyond romantic partnerships toward economic survival communes where individual housing impossible.

Insights: Working-Class Female Mutual Aid Networks Fill Welfare State Gaps

Film demonstrates how welfare state erosion forces working-class women creating informal safety nets through collective housing, childcare sharing, and pooled income.

Industry Insight: Franco-Belgian co-productions enable regional cinema examining deindustrialized working-class female experiences rarely centered in mainstream narratives.

Consumer Insights: Audiences respond to found family authenticity addressing dysfunctional biological families resonating with contemporary alternative kinship formation trends.

Insights for Brands: Northern France working-class specificity creates authentic poverty representation demonstrating value of regional socioeconomic grounding versus generic depictions.

Implications for Entertainment Industry

Film's examination of working-class female survival communities reveals critical industry opportunities for authentic marginalized women's narratives.

• Regional Working-Class Female Stories: Northern France deindustrialized settings providing authentic contexts for examining economic inequality and informal economy survival strategies offering fresh perspectives.

• Collective Ensemble Recognition: Saint-Jean de Luz Collective Best Actress award encouraging investment in group chemistry development transcending individual star vehicles.

• Actress-Director Pipeline Value: McNeese's performance background enabling unique ensemble-focused direction demonstrates viable career transition creating performance-centered filmmaking approaches.

• Found Family Narrative Demand: Alternative kinship structure examination reflecting contemporary family formation diversity demonstrating audience appetite for chosen family stories addressing dysfunctional systems.

• Sororité Complexity Examination: Film exploring solidarity's benefits and limitations providing nuanced female community portrayal avoiding simplistic sisterhood celebration enabling sophisticated examination of collective survival's costs.

Regional authenticity combined with ensemble excellence demonstrates viable model for examining marginalized women's lives through character-driven narratives grounded in specific contexts.