Brotherhood (2018 film)

Brotherhood (Ikhwène) is a short film, directed by Meryam Joobeur and released in September 2018.

Summary
The film explores the tensions within a Tunisian family when the biggest son, who has been away for one year, returns home with a new Syrian wife who wears the full niqab, igniting his father's suspicions that his son has been working for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Production
The film's title was chosen to reflect both the familial connotations of the word "brotherhood" and its use in the name of the controversial Islamist organization Muslim Brotherhood.

Joobeur's feature directorial debut Who Do I Belong To (Mé el Aïn), premiering in 2024, centres on a similar scenario but features some key story differences, including changing the central character from a father to a mother.

Accolades
The film premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Canadian Short Film. In December 2018, it was named in the TIFF's year-end Canada's Top Ten list.

At the 21st Quebec Cinema Awards in 2019, the film won the Prix Iris for Best Short Film. The film received a nomination for the Best Live Action Short Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.