ABOU LEILA

Synopsis: In 1994, the Algerian civil war had been raging for years in the north of the country. Two police officers, S. and Lotfi, who are also childhood friends, travel through the desert looking for Abou Leila, a dangerous fugitive terrorist. In the immensity of the Sahara, their quest seems absurd. But, Lotfi has one priority: to keep S. far from the capital, knowing his friend is too fragile to face more bloodshed. The deeper they get into the desert, the more they are confronted with their own trauma. 

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Director’s biography: Amin Sidi-Boumédiène graduated in directing at the Conservatoire Libre du Cinéma Français [Free Conservatory of French Cinema] in Paris. He returned to Algeria in 2008, worked as an assistant director, and at the end of 2010, directed his first short film “Demain, Alger?” (Tomorrow, Algeria?), which was selected at the Short Film Festival of Clermont-Ferrand amongst others. His second short “L’Île” [The Island] won the Best Film Award at the Abu Dhabi International Film Festival in 2012. In 2014, he directed his third short film “Serial K”. “Abou Leila”, his first feature, premiered in Cannes International Film Festival – Critics’ Week in 2019.