HEREMAKONO

On the edge of the Mauritanian desert lies the coastal town of Nouadhibou. This is where 17-year-old student Abdallah visits his mother before emigrating to Europe. The young man feels like a stranger in his own country: he neither speaks the local dialect nor is he interested in its customs and history. And yet he finds himself increasingly integrated into the everyday life of his surroundings ... Once again, Abderrahmane Sissako proves to be a sensitive observer who transfers the conflict between tradition and progress, between longing for a foreign country and the feeling of home, to the cinema screen with a special feeling for his characters and in atmospheric and beautifully composed images. Awarded the Un certain regard prize in Cannes. (Florian Widegger)