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Last night at the Palm Springs International Film Festival I saw this fabulous, moving film about the Algerian poet Jean Senac portrayed by the masterful French actor Charles Berling. I felt the same emotion I experienced in "The Pianist". No one in the audience moved at the movie's finale. Issues like homosexuality and violence were very soft-pedaled and the screen comes alive with Senac's brilliant poetry. There's a magnificent group of young actors portraying young actors who just "make" the film.. especially Ouassini Embarek the actor and Mehdi Dehbi as Hamid in his first film...handsomely refreshing.....

The film is a wonderful touching biographical account of Senac - Several times it reminded me of "Before Night Falls" the Javier Bardem/ film about Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas...... It is all quite an expose of alarming Algerian politics from thirtysome years ago....sadly the situation continues today. It is a brilliant statement for freedom of speech, self, and artistic expression..I'd give this film a "9" with pleasure. We will definitely hear more about this movie....it's not to be missed.

Director: Abdelkrim Bahloul