ABOUNA

15-year old Tahir and 8-year old Amine wake up one morning to learn that their father has mysteriously left the house. Why? They don't know. They are particularly disappointed because he was supposed to referee a soccer match between the kids in the neighbourhood. They thus decide to set out looking for him through the streets of the city, inspecting the different places where he often went - to no avail... Giving up the search, they wander aimlessly through the streets, happier playing hooky than attending school, taking refuge in movie theatres... One evening, in the darkness of the movie theatre, they believe they recognize their father on the screen. The two brothers plan to steal the reels of the film. All this becomes too much for their stressed-out mother and she packs them off to a remote Muslim school in the semi-arid hinterland. They don't adjust and make various attempts to flee. A simple tale, beautifully shot, Abouna is infused with subtle irony, sadness and simple delights while poignantly evoking the sense of abandonment experienced by the two brothers.