Summary
Georges Montero, a French-born Algerian, travels to Paris to have a cataract operation.
He makes the most of his stay in France to renew his acquaintance with family members
and friends who have fled Algeria since the war of independence. He soon finds himself
torn between returning to his beloved Algeria or starting a new life in France.
Whilst his friends resort to devious methods to persuade him to stay in France, Georges
develops a friendship with his eye doctor, Tarek, an assimilated Arab who has lost contact
with his own ethnic background. Though their circumstances are very different,
the two men both come to realise the importance of their cultural identity...
Review
In her first full-length film, Dominique Cabrera conveys some sense of the conflict and
trauma which emigrants must surely experience when they leave their homeland to settle
in another country. Herself an Algerian, Cabrera has a natural empathy with her
film’s subject which allows her to give the film a sense of authenticity and relevance.
Cabrera's previous film-making experience was in making documentaries and this is apparent
throughout the film, which often has a very raw documentary feel. She is also well-served
by her top-notch lead actors, Claude Brasseur and Roschdy Zem, who each brings a credible
personal perspective to their characters.
Although the film is a worthy effort, which does makes some valid statements about the
strength of family ties and the need for racial identity, Cabrera’s inexperience as a
filmmaker is however quite apparent. From the start, the film fails to establish
its characters strongly enough for the audience to sympathise with them, and much of the
film is painfully without focus. Despite Brasseur’s commendable performance, it
is hard for a spectator (particularly one of non-Algerian origin) to make much sense of
his character's journey of self-discovery.
Although watching this film is an uncomfortable and largely unrewarding experience, you
do still get the impression that Dominique Cabrera has the courage and potential to make
some important, socially relevant works.
© James Travers 2003
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