Dounia Bovet-Wolteche
2009 - Belgique - Noir & Blanc - 53'
A coast somewhere in the distance, an arrival by boat, and some singing, a distant insistent lament. These few shots introduce the outline of the film: a crossing of the Mediterranean, from one shore to the other. A crossing by Axelle, who first took the trip as a young schoolteacher, right after the independence of Algeria. From one shore to another, and from one time to another, as a gesture of loyalty to a friend she knew back then, Ali, who has just passed away. If Fog Had Roots brings us from Algiers to Ali’s place in Tizi- Ouzou. Showed as reverse-shots are what we quickly understand to be the last images of her friend. It is a three-voice tale told by the filmmaker, Axelle and Ali, who calls up in snatches his political struggles, his times in jail and his death sentence meted out by the French authorities.
Photography : Dounia Bovet-Wolteche
Sound : Alexandre Davidson
Editing : Mathias Bouffier
Production : Néon Rouge Production
Distribution : CBA (ventes-cbawip-sales@skynet.be, +32 222 72 230)