Uccelli Production

In a village on the edge of the Sahara, Rima, a 19-year-old orphan, dreams of learning, of discovering, of living free while the men of the salt mine go on strike. The authorities react by sending the army, Rima decides to help the strikers by trapping the soldiers. Co-produced with the Office des Actualités Algériens and shot in the region of Téhouda, 50 kilometers from Biskra, this Franco-Algerian film is fully part of the cinematographic heritage of both shores of the Mediterranean. Bertuccelli adopts the technique of cinema verite, with non-professional actors from the village itself, giving the film a striking documentary texture and a rare force of authenticity. Carried by the moving interpretation of Leila Shenna in the role of Rima, the actor Krikèche and lulled by the music of Taos Amrouche, the film questions female emancipation, social resistance and the relationship with the territory.

Louis works for a dry cleaner in the Parisian suburbs. He lives in a council flat with his wife, Chantal, who works as a cashier in a local supermarket. Their relationship is tumultuous and lackluster; Louis longs to escape his humdrum existence. He wants to find a truck to drive to Lebanon. To carry out his plan, he commits a robbery at the supermarket where his wife Chantal works. His plan goes wrong when he fatally wounds a store employee and a security guard. He manages to leave the supermarket unharmed, his loot in his pockets. However, one person witnessed the gruesome scene: Lucie, another cashier. Why does this woman, who seems to have all the evidence to incriminate him, remain silent? Louis is determined to get to know Lucie to better understand the intentions of this mysterious man.