The Great Journey (2004)
1h 48m | PG-13
Reda, summoned to accompany his father on a pilgrimage to Mecca, complies reluctantly - as he preparing for his baccalaureat and, even more important, has a secret love relationship. The trip across Europe in a broken-down car is also the departure of his father: upon arrival in Mecca, both Reda and his father are not the characters they were at the start of the movie. Avoiding the hackneyed theme of the return to the homeland, the film uses the departure to renew a connection between two generation.
Director: Ismaël Ferroukhi
Studio: Ognon Pictures
Genre: Drama, Romance
Video: 720p
Cast
Nicolas Cazalé
as Reda
Mohamed Majd
as The Father
Jacky Nercessian
as Mustapha
Ghina Ognianova
as La vieille femme
Kamel Belghazi
as Khalid
Atik Mohamed
as Le pélerin Ahmad
Reviews
A voyage without energy. I see many Film Movement releases and this is among the weakest I've seen. Listless. It failed at everything it tried, whether road,father/son or spiritual journey. The huge throngs at Mecca at the end were impressive but otherwise I can't recommend.