Layla M is an astonishing film which charts a young Dutch Muslim’s passionate and fierce determination to find her place in the world. ‘Layla M’, as played by Nora El Koussour, is angered by the discrimination she experiences as a Muslim living in the Netherlands; she is further dismayed by her family’s apparent lack of empathy divided by differing concepts of what it means to belong in modern Dutch society. ‘Layla M’’s search for acceptance encourages her to lose herself in the teachings of Islam, and from there begins a story of magnetic power. The brilliance of this film lies in the clarity of the storytelling and the stunning, fiery central performance of El Koussour who dominates the picture from first frame to last.

This is an absolute must see and both director, Mijke de Jong and Nora El Koussour will be in Kilkenny at the weekend to present the film.