‘A Place For Her’ review: Strong, immersive social drama unravels in a Parisian women’s support centre

Dir: Mélisa Godet. France. 2025. 111mins

The bustling and pressurised life of health workers and other staff at women’s healthcare and support centre in Paris is warmly realised in Mélisa Godet’s engaging and uplifting ensemble piece. Inspired by the stories and actions of the real La Maison des Femmes in Saint-Denis, founded by Dr Ghada Hatem, this fictional social drama immerses us in the everyday challenges and triumphs faced by people offering such frontline services.

Godet’s well-balanced script allows several stories to share the spotligh

Godet’s well-balanced script allows several stories to share the spotlight, and should lead to an enthusiastic welcome in French cinemas when the film is released there by Zinc in March 2026 following its premiere in Marrakech’s Horizons sidebar. A strong headline cast coupled with Godet’s accessible approach to difficult but universal subject matter could easily help it catch the eye of festivals and distributors further afield.

Dr Diane Khoury (Karin Viard) runs the centre with a brisk determination, helped by a team that includes midwife and new mum Manon (Laetitia Dosch) and nurse Awa (Eye Haïdara). In addition to her administrative duties, Dr Khoury also performs reconstructive surgery on survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM).

Most of the action unfolds within the centre itself, as new surgical intern Inès (Oulaya Amamra) arrives and the staff come under the scrutiny of the Inspectorate of Social Affairs – all while trying to raise funds and the centre’s profile to keep the place afloat. The drama also periodically strays into the private lives of various members of staff, helping to round out the characters and the personal stresses they face.

It’s testimony to Godet’s ability that none of these elements becomes overpowering or lost, even as she introduces the additional problems of Covid. Instead, they simmer in the background as we meet several of the women the centre is helping, from FGM survivors including Aïssatou (Yves-Marina Gnahoua), to well-to-do, domestically abused pensioner Catherine (Marie Matheron). Emotionally charged performances and measured pacing mean the consultations with the women pack a punch, and the writer/director also sneaks in some educational information along the way.

Just as important are the social work elements of the centre, illustrated by joyous make-up and photography sessions in which the women encourage one another to step out of the shadows and blossom in the shared space. There are constant, subtle reminders of the precarity of the situation for many of the women who are still living in the shadow of abuse; one leaves a necklace she has made at the centre there, as it’s the only place she feels safe enough to wear it.

There’s a myth-busting element to Godet’s approach, as she shows that domestic abuse crosses all age groups, class boundaries and cultural divides – not through heavy handed scripting but via plot development that has a few surprises up its sleeve. She also articulates the devastating effect the Covid lockdown had on many women who were already living in fear. Although she avoids showing direct violence, one scene in which a woman is helped to flee her husband has the tight grip of a thriller.

Godet’s light touch, however, ensures that A Place For Her has a generally positive sweep that emphasises hope and camaraderie, from banter in the break room to a staff night out. The careful scoring from Audrey Ismaël, which also features women’s voices, adds to the generally feminist feel, although the male health workers’ contributions are also noted without feeling tokenistic. Godet’s mature and non-melodramatic approach acknowledges that not all stories have happy endings while celebrating the life-changing difference places like the La Maison de Femmes make, and standing in solidarity with survivors of gender-based violence.