Led by the Ladies Squad association, the documentary Femme Holistique follows young women engaged in a personal transformation journey. Partly funded by the Department, it was presented on September 19th at the Espace 93 in Clichy-sous-Bois, to an audience of over 300 people. The film team is currently seeking TV broadcasters.
The film, whose title suggests a holistic approach to women, aims to reveal their potential and help them build their future. Rafaela Lopes, director and member of Ladies Squad, explains that the term 'holistic' perfectly encapsulates the film's intention: to consider women in their entirety. The association, based in Montfermeil and Clichy-sous-Bois, was founded by former professional footballers, including Rafaela, a Portuguese international. It engages youth through social and sports initiatives.
The Femme Holistique program, run by the association for two years, supports young women from disadvantaged neighborhoods in their personal transformation. Guided by expert speakers and the Ladies Squad team, they learn to regain self-confidence through public speaking workshops, football matches, and cultural outings. The film documents the association's early stages, challenges like finding a venue, and highlights often-invisible yet remarkable female journeys.
« We wanted to show how sport, psychological support, artistic expression, and collective support can become genuine tools for emancipation, » states Rafaela Lopes. The documentary follows, among others, Nejma, 19, who joined the Ladies Squad communication team, and Sonia, a young chef working in a predominantly male field. Workshops also address taboo subjects like menstruation.
Sébé Coulibaly, one of the founding mothers of Ladies Squad and a former professional player, shares her experience. She recounts the courage and dedication required to convince her family that football was not just a boys' sport, and how her success at the highest level and as a Malian international transformed their skepticism into pride.
Over sixteen months, from October 2024 to February 2026, Rafaela Lopes filmed a vast amount of footage. « Telling a story, conducting interviews, I had never done that before, » she admits. The screening on September 19th in Clichy-sous-Bois was very well received by over 300 attendees, including men moved by the testimonials.
The current goal is to sell the documentary to television channels to reach a wider audience and amplify the message. The team also hopes to organize film-debate sessions in middle and high schools. « The current climate in our society is toxic, » notes Rafaela, pointing to a paradox between growing female emancipation and a conservative backlash observed in some men. Ladies Squad is determined to continue its work with women in the neighborhoods.
Founded in 2017 in Montfermeil and Clichy-sous-Bois by Sébé Coulibaly, Myriam Zanoubi, and Rafaela Lopes, all former professional footballers, the Ladies Squad association engages youth, primarily women, through social, sports, and cultural activities. Faced with the emancipation challenges faced by young women in disadvantaged areas, they decided to take action.
In addition to the Femme Holistique program, the association offers « Aime en 6 passion » (emancipation), a platform for societal debates. They are currently collaborating with the FabLab and the collège Louise-Michel in Clichy-sous-Bois on a 3D city model project to identify strategic locations. Ladies Squad has also relaunched its football matchmaking app, with around 3000 users in Seine-Saint-Denis and plans for national expansion.
