143 Sahara Street
DFI Cinema
/ Feature Documentary / Algeria, France, Qatar / 2019 / Colour
In Arabic / English subtitles
Interests: Documentary
MENA Premiere
Rated: Parental guidance advised for viewers under the age of 15. Individuals under the age of 15 are not admitted into cinemas unless accompanied by an individual aged 18 or over.
Screenings
Synopsis
Malika lives alone in the middle of the desert. There she runs a small restaurant serving two dishes, omelette or tomato omelette, to those who pass through like fleeting apparitions. This place, while seemingly absent from the outside world, tells of a country and in its soul. The winds of sand and silence say just as much as the dramas and dreams of those who stop there for a cigarette, a tea, to talk, or to be silent. Malika seems to have gathered these countless stories along the way, and they are now as much a part of her as she is of them.
About the Director
Hassen Ferhani was born in Algeria in 1986. In 2006, he directed his first short film, ‘Les Baies d’Alger’, which was screened in official competition in numerous international festivals. In 2008, he participated in a workshop at La Fémis, where he directed the short film ‘Le Vol du 140’. Since 2009, Ferhani has worked as an assistant director. In 2010, he co-directed the documentary ‘Afric-Hotel’, which screened at Visions du Réel and FIDMarseille. ‘Roundabout in My Head’ (2015) was his first feature-length film and has been awarded several major international prizes including FID, IDFA, Torino, Amiens, Carthage, Algiers, Entrevues Belfort, Festival Filmer le Travail de Poitiers, and Vues d’Afrique.