Algeria, 1994, in the midst of the civil war. A road-trip drama that follows two lifelong friends as they head to the Sahara desert in search of the titular terrorist, gradually facing mental breakdown and exhaustion. Reality and fantasy intertwine on the duo’s journey, which is as much metaphorical and emotional as literal, depicting the fragile inner state of two men cruelly accustomed to a life of constant threat, lurking paranoia and palpable terror. An absurdist western, full of striking symbolisms and pinches of surrealism, that reflects upon the corrosive power of war.
Abou Leila
Abou Leila
60th TIFF: Greek Premiere
Screening Schedule
No physical screenings scheduled. |
- Direction: Amin Sidi-Boumédiène
- Script: Amin Sidi-Boumédiène
- Cinematography: Kanamé Onoyama
- Editing: Amin Sidi-Boumédiène
- Sound: Mohamed Amine Teggar, Nassim El Mounabbih, Benjamin Lec
- Actors: Slimane Benouari, Lyes Salem, Azouz Abdelkader, Fouad Megiraga, Meryem Medjkane, Hocine Mokhtar, Samir El Hakim
- Production: Thala Films, In Vivo Films
- Producers: Fayçal Hammoum, Yacine Bouaziz, Louise Bellicaud, Claire Charles-Gervais
- Sets: Hamid Boughrara, Laurent Le Corre
- Camera: Thomas Burgess, Sylvain Chaux
- Make Up: David Scherer
- Format: DCP
- Color: Color
- Production Country: Algeria, France, Qatar
- Production Year: 2019
- Duration: 135΄
- Contact: Films Boutique, contact@filmsboutique.com
Amin Sidi-Boumédiène
Amin Sidi-Boumédiène, after completing his film studies in Paris, returned to Algeria and worked as an assistant director before shooting his first short film Tomorrow, Algiers?, that was screened at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival. His debut feature film Abou Leila premiered at the International Critics’ Week section of the Cannes Film Festival.
Filmography
2011 Ghadane, Al Djazair | Tomorrow, Algiers? (short)
2012 Al Djazira | The Island (short)
2014 Serial K. (short)
2019 Abou Leila
