Franco-Moroccan Actress Lina El Arabi Discusses Identity and Representation at Canneseries 2025

When asked about how she experiences her dual identity, Lina El Arabi responds: "It’s a long debate... I am a young racialized woman. There’s a sort of combo where even in the most beautiful paintings, girls who look like me are ultra-sexualized. So it’s a bit of a complicated subject... If we say we’re tired of it, we’re brought back to this, because it might mean we’re ashamed of who we are, which is not the case at all. I love my last name and my origins. I’m very proud of them! But at the same time, I’m aware that I’m French. I was born in France and I’m of Moroccan origin, because both my parents are. When I go to Morocco, I’m French. But in my country, after asking my first name, people often ask where I’m from. And then they add that they’ve been to Marrakech... It’s never mean in itself, but I don’t know what to think of all this."

The Franco-Moroccan is one of the main actresses in the series Plaine orientale, which premiered last April at Canneseries 2025. Plaine orientale explores the world of the mafia and drug trafficking in Corsica, but also dual identity. "Reading the script, it was so well written... I was very happy because it doesn’t happen so often to have such good ones. Canal+ is also a mark of quality for a series. It was a bit of a childhood dream to make a series for them," said Lina El Arabi.