The Rooftops
Fall Grant 2012 - Production Stage
Merzak Allouache / Feature Narrative / Algeria, France, Qatar / 2013 / 88 min / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Drama, Dramedy
Synopsis
Algiers. An overcrowded city with endless traffic jams, chaotic crowds, rundown buildings, old apartments piled up with families trying to survive… The Casbah, Bab El Oued, Belcourt, Notre-Dame d’Afrique, Telemly: five historic neighbourhoods of the Algerian capital. Five terraces of buildings situated in each of these neighbourhoods. Five stories independent of each other, which mingle and clash in the span of one day, from dawn until midnight, paced by the five calls to prayer coming from the city’s many mosques. Five neighbourhoods, five terraces, five moments in the day and five stories to describe a society thought to be serene but which, in fact, is far from peaceful.
Credits
- Director
- Merzak Allouache
- Screenwriter
- Merzak Allouache
- Producer
- Merzak Allouache
About the Director
Merzak Allouache was born in Algeria in 1944. He studied filmmaking in Algiers at the Institut National du Cinéma and subsequently at IDHEC in Paris. In 1976, he directed his first feature, 'Omar Gatlato'. Since then, he has been directing films in France and Algeria, and his films are frequently selected in prestigious international festivals such as the Festival de Cannes, Venice and Berlin International Film Festivals.
Awards and Festival History
Festivals
Venice Film Festival 2013, International Competition (Italy)
Dubai International Film Festival 2013, Cinetech (UAE)
Abu Dhabi Film Festival 2013, Narrative Competition (UAE)
Won Best Director from the Arab World award in the Narrative Competition section 2013, Abu Dhabi International Film Festival (UAE)