By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2 cats
Director: Teriq Terguia
Starring: Ahmed Benaissa | Rachid Amrani | Samira Kaddour
Original language title: Roma wa la n'touma ans
Country: algeria, france, germany
Year: 2007
Running time: 111
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963792/
Bruce says: “Some suspicious activity is going on with cargo at the airport; a man is having his photo taken standing in front of a painting with fake looking palms trees; a stun gun is fired; and a girl is making coffee acting nervous and distracted. It looks as
though ROME RATHER THAN YOU might be a real treat. Sadly, the promise of the opening scenes remains unfulfilled.
“Kamel (Rachid Amrani) and Zina (Samira Kaddour) are lovers who dream of getting out of Algeria. The time is the early 90s and Algeria is in the midst of a civil war between Islamic fundamentalists and secular Algerian government. Violence is omnipresent. The relationship of the police to the citizens is attenuated as everyone is under suspicion. A police state emerges and a curfew is imposed. Kamel ‘borrows’ his uncle’s car to go to a suburb of Algiers to find a man named The Bosco who traffics passports, visas and green cards. The Bosco hangs out in Madrago, a spooky half-built upscale suburb turned into a ghost town when the fundamentalists brought their battles down from the mountain villages.
“In the span of a few hours the lovers encounter thieves, thugs, police and a friend or two as they pursue their dream of escaping to foreign lands. The somewhat jumbled script is sparked by references to Kafka, D. H. Lawrence, Halliburton, and Eldridge Cleaver. Director Teriq Terguia has some great ideas but lacks the skill and resources needed to pull them together.
“In Algeria fewer than five films are made each year. Professionals cannot sustain themselves working in the film industry. Terguia confirmed that by mentioning the cinematographer is actually a local tailor. Filmed digitally, ROME RATHER THAN YOU has a muted look. Every scene is gray, dulled by clouds or twilight. 2 cats
“(ROME RATHER THAN YOU screened at the 2007 New Directors/New Films festival co-sponsored by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and MOMA.”