“A quarter to Thursday”, interview with the director, Sofia Djama

A Quarter to Thursday by Algerian screenwriter and director Sophia Djama, is one of the six feature films selected at the 14th edition of Final Cut in Venice 2026, the program of Venice Film Festival and Venice Production Bridge that supports film in post-production from all African countries and six countries of the Middle East (Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Yemen).

Sophia Djama is a filmmaker whose work explores surrealist worlds and political themes. With A Quarter to Thursday, she aims to address issues of fascism, authoritarianism, and gender rights through a satirical lens, set against a backdrop of absurd situations. The discussion was held to shed light on her creative process, production journey, and the social commentary embedded in her film.

“A quarter to Thursday”: exploring political Issues through Surrealism

In the interview, Sophia Djama discusses the origins of her project and how it ties to her earlier short stories. Her initial short film, Limply on Saturday Morning centered on absurd and surreal adventures in Algiers. She decided to adapt one of her stories into a feature film, which led to the creation of A Quarter to Thursday. The film depicts a bizarre, timeless, and placeless world where characters face absurd situations amid rising fascist tendencies. Djama emphasizes that the film is a reflection of global political regression, not confined to a single country. She uses surrealism to explore themes of chaos, authoritarianism, and gender oppression, inspired by her concern for women’s rights and the resurgence of far-right movements in Europe and beyond.

The Challenges of International Co-production

Sophia Djama shares insights into the production challenges of her film, which involves France, Belgium, and Algeria. She found it difficult to secure funding due to the complex administrative and financial landscape. Her French co-producer, Jean Bréhat and Emma Binet, were crucial in bringing A Quarter to Thursday to life despite limited resources. The film’s financing also relied heavily on France’s CNC, which supported her project through substantial funding. She created her own Algerian company mainly to facilitate administrative procedures and to handle funding applications from Algerian and Arab funds. Djama describes her efforts to connect different national contexts into her project while maintaining her vision of surrealism and political critique.

Animation and Music

The film includes animation by algerian painter Mehdi Bardi, adding a surreal layer to the storytelling. Music by Issam Krimi complements the film’s atmosphere of tension and repression, reflecting the outside world’s chaos versus the characters’ inner struggles. Sophia Djama hopes that her presence at Venice’s Final Cut will increase her project’s visibility, aiming to win awards and attract industry attention to her politically engaged cinema.

Plot