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Across the Sea (film)

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Across the Sea
FrenchLa mer au loin
Directed bySaïd Hamich Benlarbi
Written bySaïd Hamich Benlarbi
Produced bySophie Penson
StarringAyoub Gretaa
Grégoire Colin
Anna Mouglalis
CinematographyTom Harari
Edited byLilian Corbeille
Music byP.R2B
Production
companies
Barney Production
Mont Fleuri
Tarantula
Distributed byThe Jokers Films
Release date
  • 17 May 2024 (2024-05-17) (Cannes)
Running time
112 minutes
CountriesFrance
Morocco
Belgium
Qatar
LanguagesFrench
Arabic
Saïd Hamich Benlarbi and Ayoub Gretaa at Across the Sea premiere 2024

Across the Sea (French: La mer au loin) is a drama film, directed by Saïd Hamich Benlarbi and released in 2024.[1]

Told as a triptych with each chapter named after one of the three main characters, the film centres on a love triangle that develops between Nour (Ayoub Gretaa), a young man from Morocco who came to Marseille as an illegal immigrant in the 1990s; Serge (Grégoire Colin), a closeted bisexual police officer who takes pity on Nour and helps him get set up with a stable life rather than arresting or deporting him; and Noémie (Anna Mouglalis), Serge's wife who initiates an extramarital affair with Nour after years of quietly putting up with Serge cheating on her with other men.[2]

The cast also includes Omar Boulakirba, Rym Foglia, Sarah Henochsberg and Ali Mehdi Moulai in supporting roles.

Production

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The film is a coproduction of companies from France, Morocco, Belgium and Qatar.

According to Benlarbi, the film was indirectly inspired by his own experience of moving to France from his native Morocco in childhood, and centres on the theme of Nour finding a sense of belonging in an unconventional sort of family after going through the experience of living in exile from his homeland.[3] He also stressed the importance of raï music to the film, noting that immigrants often share the experience of retaining a deep emotional connection to the native music of their former homelands.[3]

Distribution

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The film premiered on 17 May 2024 in the Critics Week program at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival,[4] where it was a nominee for the Queer Palm.[5]

References

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