Laïla Marrakchi's 'Les fraises' explores Moroccan women's struggle in Spanish greenhouses at Cannes 2026

Laïla Marrakchi's film 'Les fraises' premieres at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section. The narrative follows Hasna and Meriem, Moroccan women who migrate to southern Spain to work in strawberry greenhouses under exploitative conditions. The film uses a dual structure: an observational first half closely following the women's labor and bonding, and a more fictional second half involving a lawyer and an investigation. A key scene depicts Hasna, a former taekwondo champion, confronting the foreman, symbolizing a clash between workers and management, capitalism and justice, and Morocco and Spain. Marrakchi emphasizes the women's courage in leaving their families for months, contrasting with absent male figures. The film aims to put faces on invisible laborers behind consumer goods. Marrakchi, who studied in France, draws on her own experience of leaving home. The film highlights systemic injustices including language barriers, lack of legal tools, and societal pressure from both Spain and Morocco.