Thu, 06-May-21 07:00 PM
Sabah Jalloul
A tiny café on the Trans-Saharan Highway, a counter, a table, windows, the open door. As if for a short performance, a wide variety of travelers appear on this sparse stage, strangers and regulars, for a coffee on the side and sometimes ambiguous conversation. Only her cat keeps Malika, the operator, constant company. Outside, there is sand and heavy traffic thunders by; next door, a huge gas station is being built.
Actually, the director wanted to make a road movie, but his film turned out to be the opposite.
With Malika, the world comes to a standstill. She is the unshakeable resting place where the guests from far away get stranded, rest for a moment, comment on everyday life, get into contemplation. Although created as a documentary, the chance encounters seem staged. With the eye of the camera, we follow, spellbound, a suspended time between closeness and strangeness.
Best emerging director, Locarno Int. Film Festival 2019
Special jury mention, Montréal Int. Documentary Festival RIDM 2019
Price of the city of Torino, Torino Film Festival 2019
Hassen Ferhani, born 1986 in Algiers. Ferhani became active in the cinema while still a teenager by working with the ciné-club of the Algerian arts organization Association Chrysalide. He worked as script trainee, assistant director and in 2008 he participated in workshops at the FEMIS in Paris. His first short films LES BAIES D’ALGER (2006), AFRIC HOTEL (2011), TARZAN, DON QUICHOTTE ET NOUS (2013) were exhibited internationally. His debut feature film DANS MA TÊTE UN ROND-POINT (2015) has won acclaim at several festivals (Freiburger Filmforum 2017).
Director, Cinematography: Hassen Ferhani
Editing: Nadia Ben Rachid, Hassen Ferhani, Nina Khada, Stéphanie Sicard
Sound: Mohamed Ilyas Guetal
Sounddesign: Antoine Morin
With Malika, Chawki Amari, Samir Elhakim
Production: Allers Retours Films
Distribution: Pascale Ramonda pascale@pascaleramonda.com