An endless highway stretches through Algeria down into the deep South. In this no-man's-land, a small shop manages to get by thanks to good-natured Malika, the heroic innkeeper of the desert. Director Hassen Ferhani tells us about his microworld, where dozens of adventures surprisingly intersect, in this witty and memorable portrait of past scars and the unstoppable modern times. (MMF)
-Locarno - Best filmmaker - 2019
-DMZ Séoul - Best documentaire - 2019
Hassen Ferhani was born in Algiers in 1986. From 2003 to 2008, he co-hosted the film club of the Chrysalide association in Algiers. In 2006, he directed his first film, a Short fiction film Les Baies d’Alger, selected in official competition by several international festivals. In 2008, he participated in the FEMIS summer training and directed a short documentary Le vol du 140, and in 2010, he co-directed a documentary film Afric Hotel. Tarzan, Don Quichotte et nous directed in 2013 has been presented at Visions du Réel and FID Marseille as well as in several international festivals. Roundabout in my head his first multi-primed feature film was released in February 2016.