Hafsia Herzi

• Born — 25 January 1987 • Birthplace — Manosque, France • Occupation — Actress, film director • Years Active — 2007–present Hafsia Herzi (born 25 January 1987) is a French actress, screenwriter, and director. She is best known for her debut role in the award-winning Franco-Tunisian feature The Secret of the Grain for which she won the award for most promising actress at the César Awards 2008, and the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the 64th Venice International Film Festival. In 2025, Herzi won César Award for Best Actress, for Borgo by Stéphane Demoustier.

Herzi is of Tunisian descent from her father and Algerian from her mother, and is the youngest of a family of four children (two brothers and a sister, Dalila). After her parents' divorce, her father remarried in Algeria. Her mother lives in Marseille, where Herzi grew up.

Herzi's film debut is 2007's The Secret of the Grain. She has also appeared in 2011's House of Tolerance. In 2016, Herzi starred in Sex Doll. Aside from her French film work, she has also appeared in American independent films War Story and This Teacher.

Herzi has a son with her partner, cyclist Nacer Bouhanni. In 2017, Herzi had an altercation with a chauffeur after the latter declined her request for a detour. According to Herzi, the chauffeur had previously made sexual innuendos alluding to nude scenes in her films and accusing her of violating religious morals. She was cleared of charges of insult by the court of first instance, but the Court of Appeal of Paris found her guilty of non-public racial insult.

• Year — Title — Notes • 2019 — You Deserve a Lover — Also Actress • 2021 — Good Mother • 2022 — La Cour — TV Movie • 2025 — The Little Sister

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2007 — The Secret of the Grain — Rym — César Award for Most Promising Actress Lumière Award for Most Promising Actress Marcello Mastroianni Award Shooting Stars Award • 2008 — Dawn of the World — Zahra • A Man and His Dog — Leïla • 2009 — The King of Escape — Curly Durandot • Buried Secrets — Aïcha • 2010 — The Rabbi's Cat — Zlebia — Voice • 2011 — Jimmy Rivière — Sonia • House of Tolerance — Samira • The Source — Loubna Esmeralda • 2012 — The Inheritance — Hajar • 2013 — Exit Marrakech — Karima • The Marchers — Monia • On My Way — Jeanne • 2014 — Le Sac de farineh — Sarah • Certifiée Halal • War Story — Hafsia • 2015 — Par accident — Amra • 2016 — Sex Doll — Virginie • 2017 — Des plans sur la comète — Inès • Of Skin and Men — Amel • Mektoub, My Love: Canto Uno — Camélia • 2018 — Féminin plurielles — Hafsia Chouchane • Black Tide • Le Banc • This Teacher • 2019 — You Deserve a Lover — Lila — Also as director • Mektoub My Love: Intermezzo — Camélia • Persona non grata — Iris • 2021 — Madame Claude — Nadège • À l'ombre des filles — Jess • 2022 — Three Nights a Week — Samia • La Gravité — Sabrina • 2023 — The Rapture — Lydia • Borgo — Melissa — César Award for Best Actress • 2024 — My New Friends — World premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival • 2026 — The Birthday Party — Nora