Playground Chronicles (Chroniques d'une cour de récré)
Arab Feature Film Competition
Brahim Fritah / Feature Narrative / France, Qatar / 2012 / 85 min / Colour and B&W / HDCAM
In Arabic, French / Arabic, English subtitles
Interests: Comedy, Biography, Period Piece, Social Issues, Immigration, Family
MENA Premiere
Synopsis
It is the summer of 1980 in France. Ten-year-old Brahim, the son of Moroccan immigrants, is at a magical time of his life: he has not yet left behind his childhood, but has just begun to engage in a more meaningful way with the world of adults. His daily life is full of the simple trials and jubilations of the young – forever getting into trouble at school, developing a crush on his schoolmate Nathalie, making new friends and discovering a passion for photography. Award-winning Moroccan French director Brahim Fritah places Brahim’s blossoming awareness of the world around him against a backdrop of social difficulties – the economic troubles of the 80s, a strike at the factory where his father works, and the faraway social turmoil of his new friend’s native Chile. This clever tactic allows us to imagine what valuable treasures from childhood Brahim will take with him as he enters the decades ahead.
About the Directors
Brahim Fritah was born in Paris in 1973. His debut short, ‘Sweeper’s Chronicles’ (1999), and documentary ‘El censo’ (2001) led to a place at the Cannes Cinéfondation in 2003. Four short films followed: ‘La femme seule’ (2004), a prize-winner at three festivals; ‘Le train’ (2005); ‘Le tableau’ (2008) and the experimental ‘Une si belle inquiétude’ (2011). ‘Playground Chronicles’ marks his feature debut.
Credits
- Director
- Brahim Fritah
- Screenwriter
- Brahim Fritah, Jehanne Bernard
- Producer
- Philippe Delarue
- Editor
- Catherine Mantion
- Music
- Jean-Christophe Onno
- Cinematographer
- Pascal Lagriffoul
- Other
- Casting Director : Myriem Aouidad
- Cast
- Yanis Bahloul, Rocco Campochiaro, Mostéfa Djadjam, Dalila Ibnou Ennadre, Vincent Rottiers, Anne Azoulay