In a Whisper

Having long ago relocated to Paris, Lilia (Eya Bouteraa) returns home to her native Tunisia for the funeral of her beloved uncle. While her own sexual orientation and the details of her private life, including the existence of her girlfriend, are a mystery to her family, Lilia’s secrets find unexpected resonance when surprising details emerge about her uncle’s own personal affairs—and the potential circumstances of his death. In her third feature, Tunisian-born filmmaker Leyla Bouzid (A Tale of Love and Desire, Rendez-Vous 2022) refuses to present a sensationalist or judgmental perspective on culture clashes over sexuality, morality, and assimilation. Rejecting simplistic assumptions, In a Whisper instead offers a subtle, nuanced study of complicated, specific yet universally recognizable familial dynamics, grounded in a fascinating look at contemporary Tunisian society and its slowly shifting cultural mores. A Strand Releasing release.