ABOUNA aka OUR FATHER

Year: 2002
UK: ICA Projects
Cast: Ahidjo Mahamat Moussa, Hamza Moctar Aguid, Zara Haroun, Mounira Khalil, Koulsy Lamko, Garba Issa, Liamza Moctar Agud
Director: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
Countries: France / Chad
Language: Chad Arabic (English subtitles)
UK: 81 mins
UK Certificate: PG contains moments of mild violence and anguish
UK Release Date: 22 November 2002 (Limited Release)

Synopsis

In the strange times following the disappearance of their father into the West African desert, brothers Tahir (Ahidjo Mahamat Moussa) and Amine (Hamza Moctar Aguid) unexpectedly catch a glimpse of him acting in a movie screened at their local cinema. Stealing a reel for evidence lands them in detention, where Amine finds maternal love and Tahir falls for a beautiful, but speechless girl. With its brightly coloured vision of family life and fantastic African acoustic guitar soundtrack by the great Malian musician Ali Farka Toure, ABOUNA is full of warmth and humour intertwined with a thread of tragedy, confirming Haroun as a first class filmmaker.