Upon his return to his hometown in the South of France, a young professional Muslim man has revelatory encounters with the ultra-right politics, his family and himself
F IS FOR FRANCE
Nassim, a young successful man who works in Saudi Arabia, comes home to the little southern French city of Bollene. During the few days of Nassim’s visit and his interactions with his family, friends and acquaintances, we see the many facets of life in Bollene: from the city’s decline into far right politics to the complexities of reconciling faith and contemporary life for members of the Muslim community. Most fascinating, however, is Nassim’s relationship with his American fiancee Elizabeth, which reinforces for Nassim the feeling of othering, especially as they try to re-navigate the space of his childhood together, and new cultural crevices appear around them. A rich, albeit brief documentary that specifically spoke to me, as a person stuck between countries and cultures, with its vast vocabulary of modern anxieties and complexes.
Return to Bollène (Retour à Bollène), 2017
Director: Saïd Hamich
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