Hassan Guerrar unveils his first film, Barbès, little Algérie, in cinemas on October 16, 2024. Sofiane Zermani, aka Fianso, plays Malek, a forty-year-old binational who moves to Montmartre and is about to discover a world hitherto unknown to him: Barbès. With his nephew, Ryiad(Khalil Gharbia), recently arrived from Algeria, they explore this northern Paris neighborhood, home to a large part of the capital's Algerian community.
The film Barbès, little Algérie will be released in cinemas fromOctober 16 , 2024.
Synopsis: Malek, a bachelor in his forties, has just moved to Montmartre and soon welcomes his nephew Ryiad, who has just arrived from Algeria. Together they discover Barbès, the neighborhood of the Algerian community, very much alive, despite the ongoing health crisis. His encounters with local figures will enable Malek to rediscover a part of himself that he had buried, to reconnect with his origins and to begin mourning the loss of his loved ones.
While Amélie Poulain may have been criticized for depicting a"postcard Montmartre", "emptied" ofthe minorities that make up the charm of this corner of Paris, it would seem that Hassan Guerrar has opted for the perfect opposite, showing Barbessians in all their richness and diversity.
Malek's encounters with local figures (most of them colorful characters) enable him to rediscover a part of himself that had been buried, and to reconcile himself with his origins. Filmed during the Covid health crisis, Barbès is shown to us as rarely seen - devoid of its inhabitants - but how true is it?
With a lot of soul - and the complicity ofAudrey Diwan, the film'sco-writer - Hassan Guerrar emphasizes the fraternity, solidarity and mutual aid shown by the inhabitants of Barbès, who easily manage to put aside their differences of belief for the common good. Malek is involved with a food aid association, while one of the local residents goes out of his way to help undocumented immigrants.
But underneath its small village airs, where the Mistral might just as well be blowing, what is the reality of the Barbès that Parisians of all stripes rub shoulders with on a daily basis? Isn't this vision a little too watered-down ? A veritable social drama, Barbès little Algérie may suffer from a slightly too shimmery color scheme, music that's a little too present, and a camera that's a little too in love with Fianso's beautiful eyes for us to really believe it. But after all, in this world where everyone looks at their fellow man out of the corner of their eye, why not?
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Dates and Opening Time
Starts October 16, 2024
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