The Cinematheque

France

“With shades of Normal People … Warm, passionate, and sexy in a well-read kind of way … Reminiscent of the work of Abdellatif Kechiche—particularly Games of Love and Chance … Both directors are keen to celebrate and legitimise sexual desire in the Arab world.”

Lee Marshall, Screen International

Idealistic literature student Ahmed (Sami Outalbali), a young man of Algerian heritage, grew up in the suburbs of Paris. Studious and solitary, his world completely changes one day when he meets Farah (Zbeida Belhajamor), an intelligent and attractive young Tunisian girl, who has just arrived at the same university. As she introduces him to an impressive body of erotic Arabic literature that he never imagined existed, Ahmed begins to fall in love with Farah. Although he is increasingly consumed with desire, fuelled by Farah and by poetry, he nevertheless does his best to resist. She may have other ideas, however. Part romantic coming-of-age tale, part paean to the literature of love, A Tale of Love and Desire is an intense, moving portrait of the search for intimacy and companionship. In French and Arabic with English subtitles.

Note: The 2021 French film Lost Illusions (Illusions perdues), an adaptation of the eponymous Balzac novel, will screen online December 8–9.