I Still Hide to Smoke
In a tense 1995 Algiers hammam, women forge a precarious sanctuary when political terror and an honor-driven threat converge on one vulnerable girl.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- claustrophobic
- urgent
- focused evening viewing
- social justice film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a gripping, urgent account of female solidarity and refuge amid political and patriarchal danger.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Algiers hammam shelters women while terrorist violence and an honor-based pursuit unfold outside.
Fatima and the hammam’s women respond collectively to Meriem’s danger and the surrounding unrest.
Meriem faces a threat from her brother’s honor logic against the backdrop of Algeria’s tense 1995 capital.
The plot follows the women through one increasingly volatile day at the hammam.
Films like I Still Hide to Smoke, and why
The Magdalene Sisters
women-centered drama, political repression, and enclosed communal space
Persepolis
intimate ensemble drama about women resisting patriarchal violence
Wadjda
politically charged realism focused on female solidarity under social constraint
Mustang
tense social drama exploring gender, honor, and collective resistance
Movie Details
- Director
- Rayhana Obermeyer
- Release Date
- 2017-04-26
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (49)
Cast
- Hiam Abbass
- Fadila Belkebla
- Nadia Kaci
- Biyouna
- Nassima Benchicou
- Sarah Layssac
- Lina Soualem
- Maymouna
- Faroudia Amazit
- Fethi Galleze
Common questions
- What is I Still Hide to Smoke about?
- In a tense 1995 Algiers hammam, women forge a precarious sanctuary when political terror and an honor-driven threat converge on one vulnerable girl.
- What is I Still Hide to Smoke like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of I Still Hide to Smoke as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is I Still Hide to Smoke violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in I Still Hide to Smoke as moderate.
- What did critics think of I Still Hide to Smoke?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a gripping, urgent account of female solidarity and refuge amid political and patriarchal danger.
- Which films are like I Still Hide to Smoke?
- Films with a similar feel include The Magdalene Sisters, Persepolis, Wadjda, and Mustang.
- How long is I Still Hide to Smoke?
- I Still Hide to Smoke runs 90 minutes.
