STRIKING THE PALACE

Inspired by movements such as Las Kellys in Spain, this social comedy follows a young woman as she joins the housekeeping team at the luxurious Palace Hotel in Paris, where a night’s stay costs as much as her annual salary. Director Nessim Chikhaoui teamed up with actress and filmmaker Hélène Fillières to write this story of sisterhood and resistance, which boldly highlights the rights violations faced by these workers – many of whom are migrants – due to subcontracting and outsourcing; a precariousness that jars against the exuberance of the rooms they clean. All in all, this portrayal of women in struggle offers a more upbeat than angry perspective on the subject, thanks largely to the charisma of the cast, led by Corinne Masiero (Invisibles).