The Secret of the Grain (La graine et le mulet)
Part of the BAMcinematek series New French Films
Thu, Nov 13 at 7:30pm
Directed by Abdel Kechiche
With Habib Boufares, Hafsia Herzi
(2007) 151min
“Choosing not to exploit the drama of the will-he-or-won't-he storyline, Kechiche opts instead to focus on the complexities of his Franco-Arab characters, using detail to paint a bigger picture.” —Variety
Winner of the César for Best Film as well as a Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, The Secret of the Grain is a heart-wrenching, naturalistic portrait of the lives of immigrant workers and their families in present day France. A recently-out-of-work immigrant worker of Tunisian origin uses the little money he has saved to open a cous-cous restaurant on the harbor in Sete, France. Courtesy of IFC Films. Opens in New York on December 26. In French with English subtitles.