My Brother, dramedy directed by Lise Akoka and Romane Guéret, streams on Canal+ on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 9:06 p.m. Led by Fanta Kebe, Shirel Nataf and Amel Bent, the film premiered in the Cannes Première lineup at the Festival de Cannes 2025, ahead of its French release on January 7, 2026.
Shaï and Djeneba are twenty, lifelong friends who grew up among the high-rises of Place des Fêtes in Paris. Come summer, they land gigs as activity coordinators at a summer camp in the Drôme region, guiding a group of kids from their own neighborhood.
Away from their comfort zones, the two young women must take on new responsibilities and find their footing with the kids and the rest of the team. This shared experience arrives at a pivotal moment in their lives: each starts to picture her own future, with the risk that their paths—and their friendship—could diverge.
My Brother turns on growing up, self-emancipation, and the grip of social destiny, but also on the transmission that happens between a group of young camp counselors and the children in their care. The summer camp becomes a temporary space where the characters try out different roles and reflect on what they want to keep or leave behind from their past lives.
The film marks the second feature from Lise Akoka and Romane Guéret after Les Pires, which arrived in 2022. The two directors continue to explore themes of youth and collective life, using a method based on immersion, close observation, and the participation of non-professional or relatively unknown actors.
Shot in the summer of 2024, between Paris and the Diois region in Drôme, Ma Frère was developed with input from after-school programs and a genuine summer camp. Fanta Kebe and Shirel Nataf were notably integrated into these environments to familiarize themselves with the work of an animator and the dynamics of a group of children.
Nearly 1,500 children were auditioned to assemble the cast. Filming then hinged on recreating a colony on the actual site of the action, enabling the filmmakers to gather more than 150 hours of footage and to blend scripted scenes, observation, and guided improvisation.
Ma Frère also marks the cinema debut of Amel Bent. After its Cannes premiere, the film went on to screen at several international festivals, notably in Hamburg and at the American French Film Festival.
This summer's review may appeal to viewers who gravitate toward coming-of-age tales, depictions of modern youth, and films that foreground human relationships. With its naturalistic direction and its ensemble of young actors, it leans more toward social cinema and ensemble storytelling than toward a comedy built solely on situations or twists.
To dive deeper, also check out our selection of films, series and programs to watch on TV this week, our guide to the latest streaming platform releases, and our pick What to watch today on streaming?
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