Omar Gatlato

First feature film of now veteran director Merzak Allouache, Omar Gatlato presents itself as the diary of hero Omar Gatlato (played by very funny Boualem Benani), who directly talks to the camera, describing his everyday life: his home with all the family sleeping in the same room, his job, mostly sitting in an office dreaming about girls, his passion for egyptian movies and music, his love for a unknown woman seen on a window sill... The tone is joyous and lively, and the camera grips all the details which make of this portrait a very acute depiction of youth in Algeria in the midst of the 70's, torn between down-to-earth and day-to-day occupations and all this dreams of wealth provided by western civilization. In that matter, Allouache doesn't intent to be political in what he shows, or in a very underneath manner, since Omar's story mostly focuses on his sudden love for a girl whose voice he's heard on a tape. Difficulty to meet between boys and girls because of a cultural and religious heritage which divides the population in two distinct casts, male and female, promiscuity due to the lack of living space, ambitions often shattered by a country whose economics never could make it back since the independance : Omar Gatlato is a good testimony of an era now gone, and a perky and smiling look at a macho man such as they can only exist in arabic movies.

An Algerian tale of the seventies, tender and hard at the same time. Meet Omar in the streets of the Alger's Casbah, meet his family with his funny grandpa who sleeps in the kitchen. Listen to the young lady's voice on the tape and fall in love. I specially love the atmosphere of this country at this time, after the Liberation War against the French colonialism and just before the tragic events of the nineties which close Algeria on itself. The acting is very good too, maybe many actors are not professional but they are perfectly right. You'll appreciate this film if you like realistic movies. A film to discover, an Algerian cinema to encourage and a country to reborn.

Thanks you very much, very much and really very much Mister Merzak Allouache for having made one of the most original, honest and frank film about the loss of dreams of the young generation. You have made all your films under harsh conditions and trust me mankind will remember you for this humanist masterpiece. It is a film which shows how so many dreams have died, how individual dignity of ordinary people is suppressed. What is to be done when the dreams do not exist any more. Although the film depicts a young Algerian man, the story could have taken place anywhere in the world especially in a third world country or developing countries (for all the admirers of politically correct stance). Anyone who has a heart can easily comprehend the pain and suffering of this young man. Recommendation : a great film for those who want to become better human beings.