Returning to Tunis after a failed love affair
in Paris, handsome, disquieted Jamil begins working at a bookshop
owned by Tarek, a friend of his family’s. But the routine
of his days is disturbed by two very different women: his
new boss’s wife, the beautiful, bored Leïla, who
dreams of a career as a classical singer, and Tarek’s
lonely, widowed mother Aïcha, who owns the premises and
lives above the shop. Uncomfortable with Jamil’s attention,
Aïcha is compelled to move, but when Tarek is unable
to accommodate his wife’s professional ambitions, and
she leaves him, Aïcha returns to comfort her grieving
son. A new chapter in her relationship with Jamil begins that
will change all their relationships. Shot in hothouse colors
and graced by a glorious score, this warm, lush melodrama
offers a feast for the senses. “A ravishing first feature
from North Africa. One of the unheralded discoveries of the
year.”—Variety. Best African Film, 2003 Montreal
Film Festival. (100 mins.) In Arabic. Print courtesy of Cinexport.
First Feature.
SHOWTIMES: 2/14, 6:15pm B2;
2/15, 4:45pm WH and 2/18, 9:15pm GU. |
