Best of the Fest: Best Narrative Film - 'The Repentant'
Award Winners Showcase - Doha Tribecca Film Festival 2012
Merzak Allouache (The Repentant) / Ehab Tarabieh (The Forgotten) / Feature Narrative / N/A / 108 min / Unknown / Unknown / Unknown
Rated: Parental guidance is advised for viewers under the age of 13. Individuals under the age of 13 are not admitted into cinemas unless accompanied by an individual aged 18 or older.
Synopsis
‘The Repentant’
Algerian director Merzak Allouache’s award-winning ‘The Repentant’ digs deep into Algeria’s ‘black decade’ for a close look at the lingering effects of extremism and the nation’s recent civil war. When the government enacts a law that provides amnesty to rebels who lay down their arms, Rashid, a jihadist fighter, leaves his hideout in the mountains, rejects violence and returns home. He gets a job at a café and begins to reintegrate into society, but when a pharmacist acquaintance asks Rashid to reveal secrets about his family, his life takes an unforgettable and emotional turn. A precise narrative style and distinguished performances from the cast allow Allouache to place viewers at the heart of this engaging and deeply touching story. The film appeared at the second edition of the Arab Spring Film Festival in Paris in September, and was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival this year.
‘The Forgotten’ (precedes ‘The Repentant’)
Mustafa steals across the Israeli border with the help of a local smuggler. This is a one-way trip for Mustafa as he contemplates the end of his life. Forty-five years ago, he was forced from his home in the Golan Heights; his attempt to return is confounded by his inability to remember where he is going.
Credits
- Director
- Merzak Allouache (The Repentant) / Ehab Tarabieh (The Forgotten)