Strand Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to Hanaël El Yousfi’s The Daughters of Abraham following its international premiere in the Discovery section at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
The debut feature of French director Hanaël El Yousfi, The Daughters of Abraham follows Myriam and Eva, friends in their early twenties as they enjoy one of the last carefree summers of their youth in Marseille.
Between nights out with friends, and family and community obligations, the two young women are trying to figure out where their lives will go from here.
Their respective close-knit Muslim and Jewish families struggle between supporting their daughters as modern, liberated young women, and wanting them to live within the traditional expectations of their communities.
A slip in judgement and a betrayal of trust creates tensions between friends and within families, building to a crisis that disrupts the balance of their social circle, and leads them to take hold of their own destinies.
The North American deal was brokered by Alice Lesort, Head of International Sales at Paris-based Losange Films, with Marcus Hu and Jon Gerrans of Strand Releasing.
The Daughters of Abraham is written by El Yousfi, with Raphaël Chevènement and Mia Grace Brown, and produced by Charles Gillibert for CG Cinéma. It stars Mélissa Guers, Ava Baya and Gabriella Cohen.
“Toronto was an especially moving experience, because it was there that I realized my film didn’t belong to any one community, but to everyone who has ever had to negotiate the space between their heritage and their freedom,” said El Yousfi.
“Perhaps that is the most beautiful thing that can happen to a film: discovering that what you thought was deeply personal is, in fact, profoundly universal…I’m delighted that this story will now have the opportunity to connect with North American audiences thanks to Strand Releasing.”
Prior to its TIFF international premiere, The Daughters of Abraham won the Audience Award and a Special Prize for the cast at France’s Angoulême Francophone Film Festival. It will open in France on December 30.
The film continues to travel the festival circuit, with an upcoming Latin American premiere at the Sao Paulo Film Festival. Strand will release the film in 2027.
Producer Charles Gillibert said ”As a producer, it is always very important that our young, talented filmmakers access the international market and that their films travel as much as possible around the world. Hanaël El Youfsi is a strong and talented voice with an incredibly powerful gaze on how young women, wherever they come from, need to fight and emancipate themselves. I am very happy that Strand Releasing will bring the film to North American audiences.
Lesort added: “The critical response and audience reception in Toronto confirmed that its themes resonate far beyond France, where the story is set.”
“We’re thrilled to be able to have this debut feature film that carefully balances the politics of the world between the intimacy of two friends and makes it so universal,” said Strand’s Gerrans.