Keltoum's Daughter

[midlifecrisis]

rented this because it's set in Algeria, where I once spent a year, and was delighted. it's about a girl brought up in Switzerland who goes back to the back of beyond in southern Algeria to find the mother who abandoned her as a baby. it turns into a kind of slowly unfolding road movie, amazingly atmospheric with stuninng photography and moments of both brutality and comedy. there's little 'action', but plenty of incident and characterisation. very different and well recommended as a change from the usual Hollywood cliched crap. however, if you enjoyed Dead Man's Chest you will really hate this...

 

[ben556473]

Thanks for the recommendation, out of interest what nationality is the film?

 

[midlifecrisis]

the director is Algerian, and that's where it was all shot - but I imagine the bulk of production would be French (and it has a French feel to it). The dialogue flips between French and Arabic - so the subtitles come in handy unless you're trilingual!

 

[ben556473]

Thanks, will see if I can find it for rent.