Character Relationship Map: Four Daughters

Characters

• Ghofrane Chikaoui (played by Ichraq Matar) — supporting

  Ghofrane is Olfa’s eldest daughter and Rahma’s sister. Olfa recalls that Ghofrane was unusually affectionate shortly before revealing she had gone to Sabratha to join the brothers. Her departure profo...

• Rahma Chikhaoui (played by Nour Karoui) — supporting

  Rahma is Olfa’s daughter and Ghofrane’s sister. Her devotion to the hijab influenced a younger sister to adopt it, and one sister remembers her as a role model. After Ghofrane went to Sabratha to join...

• Olfa (played by Hend Sabry) — supporting

  Olfa is portrayed in reenactments as the mother of four daughters and the central figure in the family’s recollections. Her strict beliefs about women’s bodies, shame, religion, and obedience shaped h...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Ghofrane Chikaoui → Rahma Chikhaoui (Family Sisters) — Their relationship is marked by Ghofrane's departure and Rahma's refusal to return her, an event that deepens the family's separation.

  The account identifies Ghofrane and Rahma as sisters. After Ghofrane goes to Sabratha to join the brothers, Rahma refuses to bring her back.

• Olfa → Ghofrane Chikaoui (Family Mother And Daughter) — Olfa's memories of Ghofrane's departure frame their bond through maternal grief and the pain of separation.

  The account identifies Ghofrane as Olfa's eldest daughter. Olfa recalls Ghofrane leaving for Sabratha and says she felt her daughter had been taken fr...

• Olfa → Rahma Chikhaoui (Family Mother And Daughter) — Olfa's fear that Rahma will follow Ghofrane and take her younger sisters turns their family bond into a source of urgent conflict and concern.

  The account identifies Rahma as Olfa's daughter. Olfa later urges the authorities to arrest Rahma before she can leave.

Story Analysis

Family testimony and reenactment explore strict beliefs, separation, and unresolved love after two daughters disappear from daily family life.

Plot Progression

1. A Family Reconstructs Its Past — A filmmaker sets out to tell Olfa's story through family testimony and reenactment. The recollections introduce the absent daughters and the arguments surrounding Olfa's strict beliefs.
2. Belief, Influence, and Contradiction — The daughters recall childhood fear and control, while Rahma's devotion to the hijab influences a younger sister. Memories of increasingly rigid practices sit alongside affection and conflicting feeli...
3. Ghofrane's Departure — Olfa remembers Ghofrane's unusual affection before learning she had gone to Sabratha to join the brothers. Rahma refuses to bring her back, and Olfa describes the resulting sense of loss.
4. The Threat of Another Departure — Olfa learns that Rahma plans to follow Ghofrane with help from a smuggler and fears the younger sisters may go too. She urges the authorities to stop Rahma, but the account ends without establishing R...