Moroccan director Hakim Belabbès takes us on a sea journey, a mix of fairytale and real events. Said (Redoune Zahir) is a young fisherman. He and two close friends venture onto the sea for fish every day, leaving their relatives on the land very worried. When a woman, "Lalla Aïcha Bahriya", starts to appear to Said "everywhere", as he tells his mother, he becomes a captive of her mystery, not knowing that she could be a ghost of the seas aiming to take him away. Though the idea is a fantasy, the film indicates at the end that it's based on the story of three young men who were drowned at sea in not so different circumstances. The tone is similar to the settled, beautifully shot colours (blue, grey and brown), and the mood is sad, but this makes the film memorably realistic and deeply felt. Suitable for all.

Morocco/2006/Arabic dialogue with English subtitles/Colour/Video HD/87 mins

Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF, 2006). December 10-17, 2006
Bronze Muhr Award (Category: Narrative Features In Competition)