It's been three years since Ahmed Kasmi and his family fled the civil war in Algeria. Now settled in Montreal, the Kasmis are just weeks away from getting that all-important document - Canadian citizenship. Trying on his new suit and rehearsing the words to O Canada, Ahmed meticulously prepares himself for the ceremony that will make him a citizen of the country of his dreams. But his eldest son, Hafid, 19, spoils things by getting involved with a group of activists. Ahmed's carefully constructed Canadian world begins to crumble. Ahmed sets out to find his wayward son and save his family's chances of getting the precious citizenship certificate. He plunges through the snowy maze of Montreal winter streets taking a crash course in local manners. He discovers what his son has been up to with a small cell of activists calling themselves Crisco. Here Ahmed meets Huguette, who is madly in love with Hafid, and they join force in a search for Hafid which will take them north and further surprises...

Director :
Denis Chouinard

Script :
Denis Chouinard

Photography :
Guy Dufaux

Editor :
Richard Comeau

Cast :
Zinedine Soualem, Hiam Abbass, Rabah Aït Ouyahia, Catherine Trudeau, Kenza Abiabdillah, Marc Beaupré, Koumba Ball, Raymond Cloutier, Gary Boudreault, Igor Ovadis, François Papineau, Maude Guérin, Pier.....

The scenes at Hafid's school were shot at Cégep St-Laurent (Montreal) which is the college where director Denis Chouinard studied film and where Kenza Abiabdillah, who plays Djamila, studied drama.