LE GRAND VOYAGE

Year: 2004
UK: Parasol Peccadillo Releasing (PPR)
Cast: Nicolas Cazale, Mohamed Majd, Jacky Nercessian, Ghina Ognianova, Kamel Belghazi, Atik Mohamed, Malika Mesrar El Hadaoui, François Baroni, Krassi Kpacu, Kirill Kavadarkov, Blajo Wymenski, Dean Matchev, Erol Ataç, Sadik Deveci, Nihat Nikerel,
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Countries: France / Morocco
Languages: French / Arabic / English / Italian / Turkish (English subtitles)
UK: 107 mins
UK Certificate: PG contains mild language, violence and one upsetting scene
UK Release Date: 14 October 2005 (Limited Release - London and Glasgow)
UK Distributor

Synopsis

Mustapha, a Moroccan immigrant in France, feels it's time to undertake the Hajj to Mecca. With the help of his adolescent son, Reda, they drive across seven countries (Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and eventually Saudi Arabia).

What should be a peaceful, purposeful and solemn pilgrimage for Mustapha is an arduous and incomprehensible waste of time for his son. Along the way, the pair's stark differences and attitudes towards life and living become blisteringly apparent, and what they come to understand about one another has implications far greater than the journey itself.

Nicolas Cazale (LE CLAN aka THREE DANCING SLAVES) and Mohamed Majd both give outstanding performances in this beautiful and poignant film, which took home the Luigi de Laurentiis Award at the 2004 Venice Film Festival for best first film.