On an Algerian beach, kids splash about, sleep, squabble - and then suddenly go to war. And it's neither Lord of the Flies nor La Guerre des boutons. In her first film, full of grace, Narimane Mari films this childish freefor- all closely, at the irregular pace of an imagination inspired by the highest form of reality, national History - actually, nothing less than the Algerian War of Independence. When their make-believe induces a general upheaval, we follow the flock of children as they stamp their feet up the stairs, invade houses, cross village squares, in a whirlwind of shouts and empty words. Time is stretched like in a dream, through a choreography of belligerent shadows or the night-time explosion of the cemetery, as so many warning signs of dangers to come. Because Loubia Hamra also makes a bold switch. Instead of focusing on overwhelming tragedy - colonialism, war - she replaces it by frailty, for instance with the "small fish without a message" that float through the Mediterranean, like a moving frontier opening and closing the film. Serious like in children's games, History is given the infinite dimensions of a fantastic shadow play, and is even more grave since childhood isn't swallowed by it, but rather floats on top, an uncompleted rival, still free from an inescapable fate.
Céline Guénot (FIDMARSEILLE 2013)
A film by Narimane MARI
ALGERIA/FRANCE, 2013, Colour, HD, 77'
Casting
Adlane Aïssani, Amir Nourine, Bilal Azil, Chems-Eddine Boudjema, Feyçal Ould Larbi, Ghania Aïssani, Housseim Eddine Chatouani, Haïtem Hala, Kawtar Bakir, Madjid Bouabdellah, Mounir Laïb, Mohamed Brahimi, Nassim Brahimi, Nedjmeddine Benarafa, Rehab Bakir, Rabah Issam Hadj Aïssa, Yacine Bennour, Samy Bouhouche, Michel Haas, Narimane Mari, Olivier Luce, Zahra Laïb
Original version
Algerian
Subtitles
English and french
Photography
Nasser Medjkane
Sound
Guillaume Pellerin, Olivier Luce
Editing
Caroline Detournay, Anita Roth, Narimane Mari
Music
Zombie Zombie
Production
* Allers Retours Films
* Centrale Électrique
* Andolfi
* FDATIC
* Ministère algérien de la Culture
with the support of Centre National des Arts Plastiques (CNAP, France)
Poster: Frédérik Bois
2013 | FIDMARSEILLE 2013, France
* World premiere
* GRAND PRIZE OF THE FRENCH COMPETITION (GRAND PRIX DE LA COMPÉTITION FRANÇAISE)
* MENTION SPECIALE - MARSEILLE ESPÉRANCE PRIZE (Mention Spéciale du PRIX MARSEILLE ESPÉRANCE - Prix est doté par la Ville de Marseille).
* RENAUD VICTOR PRIZE (PRIX RENAUD VICTOR) - A selection of 9 films in competition are presented to a voluntary group of inmates in agreement with the Marseille Prison Management. Prize sponsored by the CNC in the context of buying copyright for the catalogue Images de la Culture (Le jury est composé de détenus volontaires des Baumettes qui ont assisté à l'ensemble des séances proposées à l'intérieur du centre pénitentiaire. Prix doté par le CNC dans le cadre d'un achat de droits pour le catalogue Images de la Culture).
http://fidmarseille.org/index.php/fr/component/content/article/130-films/film-2013/1398-2013-loubia-hamra-bloody-beans-haricots-rouges