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Monia Chokri
Monia Chokri
Monia Chokri
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Monia Chokri (born 27 June 1982) is a Canadian actress and filmmaker.

Key Information

Life and career

[edit]

Born in Quebec City in 1982,[1] Chokri began her acting career after she completed her studies at Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal in 2005.[2] Her mother is of Scottish descent, while her father is Tunisian with Berber roots.[3]

In addition to having played in several theatre productions in Montreal, Chokri has received notable roles in films presented at the Cannes Film Festival directed by Québécois filmmakers who are better known outside of Canada, namely Denys Arcand and Xavier Dolan. In Heartbeats, she played Marie, a young woman who falls in love with the same man as her gay male best friend Francis, played by Dolan, who also directed. The quality of her acting has been noted by critics, notably in Les Inrockuptibles[4] and Le Monde.[5]

At the end of 2010, the readers of Les Inrockuptibles named Chokri #4 on their list of the top actresses of the year for her performance in Heartbeats.

Her debut as a director, the short film An Extraordinary Person (Quelqu'un d'extraordinaire), was released in 2013 and won the Prix Jutra for Best Live Action Short Film at the 16th Jutra Awards.[6] Her feature debut, A Brother's Love (La femme de mon frère), premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.[7]

Babysitter, in which she was both the director and an actress, was released in 2022. She received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Lead Performance in a Film at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards in 2023.[8]

Filmography

[edit]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Award Year Category Work Result Ref.
Canadian Film Festival 2023 Best Feature Babysitter Won [10]
Canadian Screen Awards 2023 Best Performance in a Leading Role Babysitter Nominated [8]
2024 Best Original Screenplay The Nature of Love Nominated [11]
Cannes Film Festival 2019 Prix Un Certain Regard A Brother's Love Nominated [7]
Un Certain Regard – Coup de cœur du Jury Won [12]
Caméra d'Or Nominated [13]
2023 Prix Un Certain Regard The Nature of Love Nominated [14]
Queer Palm Nominated [15]
César Awards 2024 Best Foreign Film The Nature of Love Won [16]
Festival du nouveau cinéma 2013 Best Canadian or Québécois Short Film An Extraordinary Person Won [17]
Locarno Film Festival 2013 Pardi di Domani An Extraordinary Person Nominated [18]
Junior Jury Award Won [19]
Prix Iris 2013 Best Supporting Actress Laurence Anyways Nominated [20]
2014 Best Live Action Short Film An Extraordinary Person Won [21]
2023 Best Director Babysitter Nominated [22]
South by Southwest 2014 Jury Award – Narrative Short An Extraordinary Person Won [23]
Tampere Film Festival 2014 Best Fiction An Extraordinary Person Won [24]
Windsor International Film Festival 2023 WIFF Prize in Canadian Film The Nature of Love Nominated [25]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Monia Chokri

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Monia Chokri is a Canadian actress and filmmaker based in , renowned for her contributions to contemporary cinema through both acting and directing. Born in , she graduated from the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal in 2005 and initially built her career as a stage actress before transitioning to screen roles and behind-the-camera work. Chokri first gained international recognition as an actress in collaborations with director Xavier Dolan, appearing in his films Heartbeats (2010) and Laurence Anyways (2012), as well as in works by filmmakers like Denys Arcand in The Age of Darkness (2007). Her acting roles often explore complex interpersonal dynamics, reflecting her interest in themes of identity, relationships, and societal norms. As a director, Chokri made her debut with the An Extraordinary Person (2013), which earned the Jutra Prize for Best and the Grand Jury Prize at . She transitioned to features with A Brother's Love (2019), a drama about familial tensions that premiered in the section at the , where it received the Jury’s Coup de Coeur award. Subsequent films include Babysitter (2022), a thriller that screened in the Midnight section at Sundance, and (2023), a selected for at , which won the César Award for Best Foreign Film in 2024, noted for its witty examination of desire and . Chokri's work frequently addresses feminist perspectives, gender roles, and cultural nuances within Quebecois society, blending humor, tension, and introspection. She has served as a jury member for short films and La Cinef at in 2022, underscoring her influence in the global film community.

Early life and education

Family background

Monia Chokri was born on June 27, 1982, in , , . Her father, Ahmed Chokri, is a Tunisian painter of Berber descent who emigrated to in the late 1970s as a leftist political exile. Her mother, of Scottish origin with Scandinavian ancestry, is a French speaker who also held leftist political affiliations, including involvement in the in . This multicultural heritage profoundly shaped Chokri's early identity, blending , North African Berber, and European influences. She grew up in , where her family resided, immersed in both local French-Canadian culture and the immigrant experiences of her father. Chokri has reflected on this complexity, stating, "My mother is of Scottish origin and is a French-speaker, I also have Scandinavian ancestors, my Tunisian father is not Arab but Berber, the identity means many things and nothing at the same time." Her parents' political activism exposed her to ideas of and cultural hybridity from a young age, fostering a that later informed her artistic perspectives. As a , Chokri spent every other summer in with her father, strengthening her ties to Berber and North African traditions amid the North African landscape. Growing up in a household led by a painter father, she was surrounded by creative expression, which likely sparked her early fascination with , including eventual interests in and . These formative experiences in , combining familial exile narratives and artistic environments, contributed to her nuanced understanding of identity and belonging.

Academic training

Monia Chokri received her formal training in the at the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal, a prestigious dedicated to professional development in dramatic arts. She enrolled in the program, which provided intensive instruction tailored to the demands of theatre, film, television, and emerging media, with a strong emphasis on stage acting techniques and dramatic interpretation. This curriculum, rooted in classical and contemporary dramatic traditions, equipped students with the skills necessary for versatile performance across genres. Completing the rigorous three-year program, Chokri graduated in , marking the culmination of her academic journey in Montreal's vibrant arts scene. Her at the conservatory not only honed her technical abilities in voice, movement, and character development but also immersed her in collaborative theatrical environments that foreshadowed her professional path. During her studies, Chokri participated in practical stage exercises and productions integral to the program's hands-on approach, laying the groundwork for her entry into theater.

Professional career

Acting beginnings

Monia Chokri began her professional acting career shortly after graduating from the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de in 2005, where she honed her skills in dramatic arts. Her film debut came in 2007 with a supporting role as Aziza in Denys Arcand's Days of Darkness (original French title: L'Âge des ténèbres), a satirical exploring midlife crises among intellectuals. In this ensemble piece, Chokri portrayed a young Arab woman, marking her entry into Québécois cinema alongside established actors like Marc Labreche and . The film premiered at the and received critical attention for its sharp social commentary, providing Chokri with an early platform in a major production. Chokri's breakthrough arrived through her collaborations with director , beginning with the role of Marie in Heartbeats (2010, original French title: Les Amours imaginaires). As the confident, stylish best friend of protagonist Francis, Chokri's performance captured the nuances of unrequited desire and platonic tension in a set against Montreal's vibrant social scene. The film, which Dolan wrote, directed, and starred in, premiered at ' and earned international acclaim for its stylish aesthetics and emotional depth. Building on this momentum, Chokri reunited with Dolan in (2012), playing Stéfanie Belair, the pragmatic sister of the central character Fred. Her portrayal added layers of familial support and subtle conflict to the film's exploration of identity and enduring love over a decade, contributing to the movie's selection for Un Certain Regard at . These roles established Chokri as a key figure in Dolan's ensemble, showcasing her ability to embody complex, introspective women in intimate, character-driven narratives. Expanding beyond Dolan's orbit, Chokri took on the lead role of Joan in the 2013 French film Gare du Nord, directed by Claire Simon. In this semi-improvised drama intersecting lives at Paris's bustling train station, Chokri depicted a restless young woman navigating personal turmoil and fleeting connections, blending documentary-style realism with narrative fiction. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and highlighted her versatility in international co-productions, transitioning from supporting parts to more prominent, introspective leads. She has continued acting in subsequent years, including roles in Love Me Tender and Out of Love in 2025, with the latter competing for the Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Parallel to her screen work, Chokri maintained an active presence in Montreal's theater scene following her 2005 graduation, performing in various stage productions that emphasized her classical training. She has described her roots as firmly in theater, where she tackled diverse roles before gaining prominence in , allowing her to refine her craft in live performances across the city's vibrant dramatic landscape.

Directorial debut and evolution

Monia Chokri transitioned to directing while continuing her acting career, drawing on her on-screen experience to craft intimate, character-driven narratives that probe interpersonal tensions. Her directorial debut came with the short film An Extraordinary Person (original title: Quelqu'un d'extraordinaire), released in 2013, which follows a socially awkward scholar grappling with authenticity at a bachelorette party. The film earned critical acclaim, including the Prix Jutra for Best Live Action Short Film in 2014, marking Chokri's emergence as a promising filmmaker. Chokri's first , A Brother's Love (original title: La femme de mon frère), premiered in the section at the , where it received the Jury's Coup de Cœur award. The comedy-drama centers on the fraught between an unemployed graduate, Sophia, and her overprotective brother Karim, whose romance with Sophia's gynecologist disrupts their dynamic and exposes underlying family resentments. Through sharp dialogue and wry humor, the film delves into themes of , roles, and emotional boundaries within familial bonds. Building on this foundation, Chokri directed Babysitter in 2022, a psychosexual comedy adapted from Catherine Léger's play, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the Midnight section. The story revolves around Cédric, a man ousted from his job after a sexist joke goes viral, and his family's upheaval following the arrival of a enigmatic babysitter, Amy; Chokri herself stars as Nadine, Cédric's depressed wife and new mother navigating postpartum struggles. Her follow-up, The Nature of Love (original title: Simple comme Sylvain), released in 2023 and also premiering at Cannes in Un Certain Regard, shifts to a philosophy professor, Sophia, torn between her stable marriage and a passionate affair with a rugged contractor, Sylvain, examining class differences, infidelity, and the philosophical underpinnings of romantic attachment. Chokri's directorial evolution reflects a deepening focus on feminist and introspective narratives, evolving from familial intimacies in her debut to broader critiques of gender dynamics and relational authenticity in later works, often blending comedic satire with surreal elements and 1970s-inspired visual flair. Her decision to act in her own films, such as portraying the beleaguered Nadine in Babysitter and a supporting role in The Nature of Love, allows for heightened authenticity in depicting women's inner conflicts and societal pressures. This approach underscores her commitment to empathetic portrayals of female agency amid patriarchal constraints. As of November 2025, Chokri's oeuvre continues to garner international attention, with her films featured in retrospectives and festivals, including ongoing involvement with the , where The Nature of Love has been highlighted for its fresh take on romantic tropes. While no new directorial projects have been announced, her influence persists through these screenings and collaborations that extend her thematic explorations.

Filmography

As actress

Chokri began her acting career in the mid-2000s, initially focusing on theater before transitioning to film and television, where she has portrayed a range of supporting and leading roles in both Canadian and international productions.

Film and Television

YearTitleRoleTypeNotes
2006L'âge des ténèbres (Days of Darkness)AzizaFilmSupporting role in Denys Arcand's ensemble drama.
2007Frédérique au centreFrédériqueShort filmLead role in Anne Émond's short.
2009Hier, aujourd'hui, hierMayaShort filmSupporting role.
2010Les amours imaginaires (Heartbeats)MarieFilmSupporting role in Xavier Dolan's romantic drama; part of the central love triangle.
2011Mirador (TV series)PatriciaTVSupporting role in one episode.
2011Les rescapés (TV series)TanyaTVSupporting role.
2012Laurence AnywaysStéfanie BelairFilmSupporting role in Xavier Dolan's transgender romance.
2012Gare du NordJoanFilmSupporting role in Claire Simon's ensemble piece.
2012Le Gentleman (TV series)Annick MorinvilleTVSupporting role.
2012Clémenceau, un géantCharlotteTV movieSupporting role.
2013Entre chien et loupSophieShort filmSupporting role.
2013Mensonges (TV series)Julie CaronTVSupporting role.
2013–2015Nouvelle adresse (TV series)MagalieTVRecurring supporting role across multiple episodes.
2014Le pédophileJohanneShort filmSupporting role.
2014EndorphineDaphné de Koninck / KateFilmDual lead roles in André Turpin's psychological drama.
2015Compte tes blessures (The Cut)JuliaFilmSupporting role.
2015Hier, aujourd'hui, hier (Yesterday, Today, Yesterday)MayaFilmSupporting role.
2015Réparer les vivants (Heal the Living)JeanneFilmSupporting role in Katell Quillévéré's medical drama.
2016Les affamésTaniaFilmSupporting role in Robin Aubert's horror film.
2017L'appartementSuzieShort filmSupporting role.
2017Pauvre Georges!Emma MauvinFilmSupporting role.
2017Nous sommes gold (We Are Gold)MarianneFilmSupporting role.
2017Emma PeetersEmmaFilmLead role in Nicole Palo’s dramedy.
2017Avant qu'on explosePsyFilmSupporting role.
2017Sur-vie (TV series)Véronique DufauxTVSupporting role.
2018Les scènes fortuitesJosieFilmSupporting role.
2019Fragile (TV series)Camille BachandTVSupporting role.
2020RésonanceSophieShort filmSupporting role.
2021Falcon LakeVioletteFilmSupporting role in Charlotte Le Bon's coming-of-age story.
2022BabysitterNadineFilmLead role; also directed the film.
2023La nature de l'amour (The Nature of Love)FrançoiseFilmLead role; also directed the film.
2023Room 999SelfShort filmActing role in short documentary-style piece.
2024Où vont les âmesÈveFilmLead role.
2024MercatoLina FedjariFilmSupporting role in Tristan Séguéla's sports drama.
2025Des preuves d'amour (Love Letters)Nadia HamadiShort filmSupporting role.
2025Love Me TenderSarahFilmSupporting role in Anna Cazenave Cambet's drama.

Theater

Chokri has maintained an active presence in Quebec's theater scene since graduating from the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de in 2005, performing in over a dozen productions, often in contemporary and classical works at major venues. Notable credits post-2005 include leading and supporting roles that highlight her versatility in ensemble and solo performances, without overlap with her directorial work.
  • 2006: L'évangile selon Salomé – Hérodiade (supporting), directed by Alexandre Marine, Théâtre Prospéro.
  • 2006: Le songe de l'oncle – Maria Maskaliova (supporting), directed by Igor Ovadis, Théâtre Denise-Pelletier.
  • 2007: Le diable en partage – L'ange (supporting), directed by Reynald Robinson, Espace Libre.
  • 2008: Ailleurs – Teta (supporting), directed by Serge Mandeville, Théâtre Prospero.
  • 2009: Tentations – Aixa (supporting), directed by Martin Faucher, Théâtre des Quat'Sous.
  • 2009–2010: Je ne voudrais (pas) crever – Luce (lead), directed by Reynald Robinson, Théâtre du Bunker/Aux Écuries/Théâtre Périscope.
  • 2010: Les mauvaises herbes – Lina Perçu (lead), directed by Benoît Vermeulen, Théâtre Bouches Décousues/Maison Théâtre (tour).
  • 2013: La fureur de ce que je pense – La fille des serpents (supporting), directed by Marie Brassard, Espace GO.
  • 2015: Peepshow – Beautiful (lead), directed by Marie Brassard, Espace GO.
  • 2020: Lysis – Role unspecified (ensemble), directed by Fanny Britt and Alexia Bürger (after Aristophane), TNM.

As director

Chokri's directorial debut was the An Extraordinary Person (original title: Quelqu'un d'extraordinaire), released in 2013. Written solely by Chokri, it was produced by Nancy Grant under Metafilms and edited by , with cinematography by Josée Deshaies. The film premiered at the 2013 and later won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2014 SXSW Festival. She followed with shorts, including L'été des orages (2015) for Valérie Carpentier, produced by Productions J Inc., and Avalanches (2016) for Félix Dyotte, produced by DTO. Her first feature film, A Brother's Love (original title: La femme de mon frère), was released in 2019. Co-written by Chokri and François Choquet, it was produced by Nancy Grant and Sylvain Corbeil for Metafilms, with executive producers including Michel Merkt. The film had its world premiere in the section of the , where it received the Jury Coup de Cœur prize. Chokri's second feature, Babysitter, followed in 2022. Adapted and written by Catherine Léger from her own play, it was produced by Fabrice Lambot, Martin Paul-Hus, Catherine Léger, and Pierre-Marcel Blanchot. The film premiered at the in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. Her third feature, The Nature of Love (original title: Simple comme Sylvain), was released in 2023. Written by Chokri, it was produced by Sylvain Corbeil and Nancy Grant, with co-producers including Benoit Ponsaillé and Nathanaël Karmitz. The film premiered in the section of the . In addition to directing, Chokri has taken on leading acting roles in her second and third feature films. No additional directorial projects had been announced as of November 2025.

Awards and nominations

For acting

Chokri earned a for Best Supporting Actress at the 15th Jutra Awards in 2013 for her portrayal of Stéfanie Belair in (2012), directed by . The film, which explores themes of identity and love, featured Chokri alongside and , and her performance contributed to the movie's eleven nominations at the ceremony. In 2023, Chokri received a for Performance in a Leading Role at the for her role as Nadine in Babysitter (2022), her second feature as director, in which she starred as the wife whose husband hires a provocative babysitter (), challenging the couple's dynamics on sexual anxieties and relationships. This recognition highlighted her dual contribution to the film. No specific awards or nominations were found for her role as Marie in Heartbeats (Les amours imaginaires, 2010), another Dolan collaboration centered on a . Chokri has also appeared in several theater productions in following her 2005 graduation from the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal, though no theater-specific acting awards post-2005 are documented in available sources.

For directing

Chokri's directorial debut with the An Extraordinary Person (2013) earned her the Jutra Award for Best Live Action at the 16th Jutra Awards in 2014, recognizing her early talent in crafting introspective narratives about personal stagnation and authenticity. It also won the Grand Jury Prize at the (SXSW) Film Festival in 2014. Her transition to feature filmmaking was highlighted by A Brother's Love (2019), which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival and received the Jury's Coup de Cœur Award, praising its witty exploration of sibling dynamics and emotional dependency. Chokri's third feature, The Nature of Love (2023), continued her acclaim at Cannes, where it was nominated for the Un Certain Regard Prize, underscoring her evolving style in romantic comedies that challenge conventional relationship norms. The film achieved further international recognition by winning the César Award for Best Foreign Film at the 49th César Awards in 2024, beating high-profile entries like Oppenheimer and affirming its sharp commentary on love and infidelity. Domestically, received multiple nominations at the 12th in , including for Best Original Screenplay, where Chokri was credited for her incisive writing that blends humor with philosophical depth. As of November 2025, Chokri has no additional directing awards from major festivals like , though her ongoing projects continue to generate buzz in international circuits.

References

  1. https://www.fondazioneprada.org/project/supernova-monia-chokri/?lang=en
  2. https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/p/monia-chokri/
  3. https://www.canadianarabinstitute.org/monia-chokri
  4. https://variety.com/2023/film/global/monia-chokri-simple-comme-sylvain-france-feminism-1235618794/
  5. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-director-monia-chokri-cesar-award-best-foreign-film-1.7124817
  6. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/143595-monia-chokri
  7. https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/le-reveil-culturel/monia-chokri-et-hafsia-herzi-filiations-et-racines-1473582
  8. https://www.germainhotels.com/en/blog/monia-chokri-part-time-nomad
  9. https://www.conservatoire.gouv.qc.ca/en/dramatic-arts/
  10. https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/103/108/93287/presse/laurence-anyways-presskit-english.pdf
  11. https://www.micro-scope.ca/dossier-de-presse/END_ENG_DP.pdf
  12. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/143595-monia-chokri?language=en-US
  13. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1600524/characters/nm2873161
  14. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/les_amours_imaginaires
  15. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/laurence_anyways/cast-and-crew
  16. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3067878/characters/nm2873161
  17. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gare_du_nord/cast-and-crew
  18. https://www.giornatedegliautori.com/en/program/the-csc-masterclasses-monia-chokri-eng/
  19. https://tribecafilm.com/news/512c09c51c7d76d9a9000436-heartbeats-monia-chokri
  20. https://www.cinematheque.qc.ca/en/cinema/a-brothers-love/
  21. https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/babysitter-review-monia-chokri-1234694282/
  22. https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-nature-of-love-cannes-review/5182252.article
  23. https://www.musicboxfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/THE-NATURE-OF-LOVE-MBF-Press-Kit.pdf
  24. https://www.kviff.com/en/programme/film/63/41094-the-nature-of-love
  25. https://www.agencegoodwin.com/artistes/monia-chokri
  26. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4649130/
  27. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7232126/fullcredits
  28. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7582778/
  29. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/monia-chokri/credits/3000061788/
  30. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13308316/fullcredits
  31. https://elcinema.com/en/person/2012799/
  32. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt32465945/credits/
  33. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34762801/fullcredits
  34. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35354686/
  35. https://www.agencesartistiques.com/Fiche-Artiste/536156-monia-chokri.html
  36. https://www.metafilms.ca/en/film/an-extraordinary-person/
  37. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/a-brothers-love-review-1210105/
  38. https://variety.com/2022/film/festivals/babysitter-sundance-1235161654/
  39. https://variety.com/2023/film/global/nature-of-love-trailer-cannes-monia-chokri-1235610916/
  40. https://www.sarasotafilmfestival.com/film/the-nature-of-love/
  41. https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/laurence-anyways-leads-the-jutra-race-with-ten-nominations
  42. https://www.academy.ca/2023/monia-chokri/
  43. https://www.academy.ca/2023/babysitter/
  44. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2873161/awards/
  45. https://www.sxsw.com/news/2014/sxsw-2014-film-award-winners-announced/
  46. https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/the-films-of-the-official-selection-2023/
  47. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2051812/simple-comme-sylvain-cesar-meilleur-film-etranger
  48. https://www.academy.ca/2024/monia-chokri-2/
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