Frida Marzouk, AFC, highlights the characters in Erige Sehiri’s "Promis le ciel" ("Promised Sky")

Shot in three blocks between November 2023 and January 2025 over a total of 39 days (including 10 days of rehearsals), Promised Sky is a film centered on women’s faces and experiences, featuring a trio of female leads. Only one of them is played by a professional actress—Aïssa Maïga, who plays Marie, the eldest.

Frida Marzouk describes the film’s unique production process :
 “As with her first film, Erige insisted on beginning the shoot before the full financing was secured. That decision led to an initial rehearsal session in November 2023, where we were able to immerse ourselves in the world of the film, albeit with limited equipment. The church scenes were chosen because they bring the three main characters together and allowed us to delve into the Ivorian evangelical community around which Erige built her story. I think this experience was crucial—six months later, when we began the main five-week shoot, each actress had really internalized her character. We had also learned a lot about how best to shoot the film. A final four-day session took place in January 2025, following some edits that required transitional shots to better connect certain sequences.”

Promised Sky combines handheld camera work, a 2.39 aspect ratio, and a very shallow depth of field. Marzouk explains : 
“This is a film about faces. I felt it was natural to stay close to the actors and use a shallow depth of field. That way, the audience stays emotionally close to the three women, and their faces are brought into focus—literally and figuratively. Even though the film explores hardship and precarity, these women had to appear beautiful. I find it difficult to film a woman without highlighting her aura, regardless of the setting. For this film, I wanted their dark skin to appear luminous and natural—not dull or washed out. A radiant image above all else.”
Sehiri’s background in documentary filmmaking also influenced the visual approach. “That documentary feel was already present in Under the Figs naturally took on a documentary style. For instance, the scene where Naney calls her daughter was a real phone call, arranged by the director. Naney hadn’t seen her daughter in a long time, and their conversation is completely authentic. There was no question of doing multiple takes—we captured the moment as it happened. That scene was actually shot during a rehearsal, which happened quite often during the shoot. I often followed my instincts, moving between faces to capture the essence of a scene with minimal takes, even though we shot a lot that didn’t make it into the final cut."

Marzouk often avoided the traditional shot/reverse shot approach to emphasize intimacy : 
“For example, the scene between Marie and Noah, the blind character she turns to for advice, was shot in a format that builds a special bond—hinting at a past romantic connection. I love capturing those human connections. A hand resting on another, for example, speaks volumes. That fluid movement between the camera and the actors says more than standard setups. That kind of ballet between camera and actor can be far more sensual than two-shot coverage."

On her relationship to long takes and editing, Frida Marzouk notes : 
“It’s true that when you cut a shot, you sometimes break the truth of the moment. The live energy between the actors creates an intimate rhythm that’s hard to preserve when you interrupt it. Not every viewer will notice, but we feel it. With Erige, our process is highly intuitive. I can sense, through the viewfinder, what the actors are experiencing and what’s worth showing. Editing is about shaping the whole story, and inevitably, we lose entire sequences that we’ve worked hard on. But that’s part of the job—it’s often necessary for the narrative rhythm.”

Among her visual references, Marzouk quotes Moonlight (cinematography by James Laxton, ASC) : “We didn’t have strict references, but we were drawn to the cool color palette, like in this Barry Jenkins’ film. We wanted to avoid the warm orange tones typically associated with North Africa. The main location—an Ivorian restaurant in Tunis—greatly influenced the image. On Sundays, the tables are cleared for religious services. It was a difficult set to work in : a long room with a low ceiling and a single window. But Erige insisted that authenticity mattered most. I positioned myself near that window, which became our main light source (enhanced with two Arri M18s). We also placed compact LED soft lights on the ceiling with heavy diffusion to provide fill. During scenes with extras and sermons, we couldn’t adjust much—we just filmed as much as possible from different angles. My colorist, Vincent Amor, did a great job unifying the three shooting blocks across different seasons and lens sets (January 2025 was shot with Zeiss Supreme lenses). His touch helped complement and elevate the film.”

In addition to the restaurant, several scenes were shot throughout Tunis, giving subtle space to the city and its environment :
 “Shooting in the summer in Tunisia isn’t easy—the sun is harsh, and I had to avoid blown-out backgrounds. My goal was to stay focused on the faces and inner worlds of the characters. I shot wide open with Panaspeed lenses (f/1.4 or 2). For one scene between Marie and Jolie, we found a street in La Marsa with a natural canopy of trees that shaded the area, even at midday. We shot handheld, in a single take, walking backward as the actresses moved from light to shadow. The dappled bokeh effect from the trees created a halo around them. I must commend my focus puller, Franziska Hurm, who came from Germany for the project. Shooting wide open without rehearsals requires intense precision, and she was amazing—despite not speaking French, she instinctively understood the rhythm of the scenes.”

Regarding the photographic risk of shooting wide open, Marzouk says : “We already did this in Under the Figs. If you don’t take risks with the image or shoot the way you feel it should be done, what’s the point ? I don’t like limiting myself for technical reasons. If the film demands a skilled focus puller, we find one. Shooting between f/1.4 and f/2 was worth it. Again, this comes down to the shared intuition between Erige, the actors, and me—and Franziska, too. Even though she didn’t understand the dialogue, she could sense when and where to place the focus. I know I’m at the mercy of the moment, but I trust that intuition.”

Shot entirely handheld, the film was also a chance for Marzouk to develop a deep connection with the actresses : “Naney impressed me with how quickly she learned to position herself for the light and camera, even though she’d never acted before. I could give her subtle signals mid-scene to shift her face into the light. I also learned to stay still and restrain my movements. When shooting handheld in such an instinctive environment, it’s easy to get carried away chasing different angles. But sometimes, like in the scene where Marie breaks down in the kitchen, it’s more powerful to stay put. No need to cut to Noah watching her—the emotion comes from holding the shot. Those are the decisions you make in the moment, and they shape the scene.”
Does that help regain control over editing ?
“That wasn’t my intention at the time, but looking back, I realize that scene works precisely because of that choice. Even though it limits editing options, it definitely serves the story.”

Marie, an Ivorian pastor and former journalist, lives in Tunis. She takes in Naney, a young mother in search of a better future, and Jolie, a determined student who carries the hopes of her family back home. When the three women take in Kenza, a 4-year-old survivor a shipwreck, their refuge turns into a tender but restless blended family in an increasingly
worrying social climate.

Promised Sky
Director : Erige Sehiri
Director of photography : Frida Marzouk, AFC
Set design : Amel Rezgui
Costumes : Imen Khalledi
Sound : Aymen Labidi
Editing : Nadia Ben Rachid.

(Collected and edited by François Reumont for the AFC)