Mascarades (Masquerades)

Algeria/France 2008, 94 Min, English subtitles

Mounir yearns to be respected in his village at the edge of the Sahara. But he is always teased about his sister Rym, who nobody thinks will ever marry, as she suffers from narcolepsy and is constantly nodding off. His drunken, fabricated boast that a rich man from the city has asked for her hand sets in motion a chain of lies and absurd situations. Meanwhile, Rym is as good as engaged to Mounir’s best friend. But what she wants doesn’t really matter… In his directorial debut, actor Lyes Salem – also seen here in the leading role – makes a screwball comedy out of the restrictions placed on Algerian women.

A 2009 César nominee for best film and winner of distinctions including the Muhr Arab Award and the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2008 Dubai International Film Festival.