DUBAI: Algerian filmmaker Merzak Allouche’s family dramedy “Front Row,” supported by the Red Sea Fund, screened this week at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival.
Allouche’s 19th feature tells the story of two matriarchs, Zohra Bouderbala and Safia Kadouri, who find themselves in conflict during a day at the beach. Zohra, accompanied by her five children, arrives early to secure a desirable spot, but tension arises when the Kadouri family is placed directly in front of them by a beach attendant.
As the two families engage in a passive-aggressive battle, teenage romance quietly unfolds in the background, adding to the drama.
The film stars Fatiha Ouared as Bouderbala, Bouchra Roy as Kadouri, and Nabil Asli as Hakim, the beach attendant.
