Maghreb Film Festival: Take My Breath

Twenty-three-year-old Shams works as a seamstress and lives a quiet life, carefully keeping her intersex identity hidden from those around her. When her secret is exposed, the fragile balance of her life collapses. Caught between desire, love and the rigid expectations of her surroundings, Shams is forced to leave her home and seek refuge in Tunis.

With Take My Breath, Nada Mezni Hafaiedh explores the difficult tension between personal identity and the social norms imposed on the body. Shams’ journey becomes a story about the right to define yourself, even when the world around you refuses to accept anything that falls outside its familiar boundaries.

The film premiered at the Warsaw International Film Festival and went on to win awards at the Rotterdam Arab Film Festival and the International Oriental Film Festival of Geneva. It was also selected as Tunisia’s entry for the 2025 Academy Awards.