Starring Isabelle Huppert and premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, La Prisonnière de Bordeaux delves deeply into themes of social class and female solidarity.

The film, originally titled Visiting Hours, captures a pivotal moment when the lives of two women intersect. Alma (Huppert), a wealthy white woman, is at the prison for a routine visit to her incarcerated husband. On the same day, Mina (played by Hafsia Herzi), a poor North African woman, attempts to visit her own husband but is turned away by the guards. Witnessing this, Alma offers Mina a ride, sparking an unlikely friendship. Eventually, moved by a complex mix of empathy, pity, and discomfort, Alma invites Mina and her two children to stay in her home.

The film explores the dreams of freedom that both women share while highlighting the vast divide between their worlds. Nothing is portrayed as simply black and white. With remarkable performances from Huppert and Herzi, Visiting Hours presents a nuanced and powerful narrative.