Across the Sea (film)

Across the Sea
Across the Sea
French	La mer au loin
Directed by	Saïd Hamich Benlarbi
Written by	Saïd Hamich Benlarbi
Produced by	Sophie Penson
Starring	Ayoub Gretaa; Grégoire Colin; Anna Mouglalis
Cinematography	Tom Harari
Edited by	Lilian Corbeille
Music by	P.R2B
Production; companies	Barney Production; Mont Fleuri; Tarantula
Distributed by	The Jokers Films
Release date	17 May 2024 (Cannes);
Running time	112 minutes
Countries	France; Morocco; Belgium; Qatar
Languages	French; Arabic

Across the Sea (French: La mer au loin) is a drama film, directed by Saïd Hamich Benlarbi and released in 2024.^[1]

Told as a triptych with each chapter named after one of the three main characters, the film centres on a love triangle that develops between Nour (Ayoub Gretaa), a young man from Morocco who came to Marseille as an illegal immigrant in the 1990s; Serge (Grégoire Colin), a closeted bisexual police officer who takes pity on Nour and helps him get set up with a stable life rather than arresting or deporting him; and Noémie (Anna Mouglalis), Serge's wife who initiates an extramarital affair with Nour after years of quietly putting up with Serge cheating on her with other men.^[2]

The cast also includes Omar Boulakirba, Rym Foglia, Sarah Henochsberg and Ali Mehdi Moulai in supporting roles.

Production[edit]

The film is a coproduction of companies from France, Morocco, Belgium and Qatar.

According to Benlarbi, the film was indirectly inspired by his own experience of moving to France from his native Morocco in childhood, and centres on the theme of Nour finding a sense of belonging in an unconventional sort of family after going through the experience of living in exile from his homeland.^[3] He also stressed the importance of raï music to the film, noting that immigrants often share the experience of retaining a deep emotional connection to the native music of their former homelands.^[3]

Distribution[edit]

The film premiered on 17 May 2024 in the Critics Week program at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival,^[4] where it was a nominee for the Queer Palm.^[5]

References[edit]

^ Ludovic Béot, "[Cannes 2024 “La Mer au loin” de Saïd Hamich, un long métrage bouleversant"]. Les Inrockuptibles, 16 May 2024.
^ Jan Lumholdt, "Review: Across the Sea". Cineuropa, 19 May 2024.
^ ^a ^b Marta Balaga, "Saïd Hamich Benlarbi • Director of Across the Sea". Cineuropa, 18 May 2024.
^ Elsa Keslassy, "Cannes Critics’ Week Unveils 2024 Lineup". Variety, April 15, 2024.
^ Tim Dams, "Queer Palm reveals eligible titles from 2024 Cannes lineup". Screen Daily, 9 May 2024.

External links[edit]

Across the Sea at IMDb

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[1] Ludovic Béot, "[Cannes 2024 “La Mer au loin” de Saïd Hamich, un long métrage bouleversant"]. Les Inrockuptibles, 16 May 2024.

[2] Jan Lumholdt, "Review: Across the Sea". Cineuropa, 19 May 2024.

[balaga-3] Marta Balaga, "Saïd Hamich Benlarbi • Director of Across the Sea". Cineuropa, 18 May 2024.

[4] Elsa Keslassy, "Cannes Critics’ Week Unveils 2024 Lineup". Variety, April 15, 2024.

[5] Tim Dams, "Queer Palm reveals eligible titles from 2024 Cannes lineup". Screen Daily, 9 May 2024.

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