In Vivo Films (France), Le Moindre Geste (Morocco)
90 minutes / Drama
Paradize | Directed by Alaa Eddine Aljem
As humankind sees its senses withering because of an unexplained mutation, Nadir and Ahmed spend their lives idle in a dull neighborhood. The discovery of a strange tree and of the extraordinary effects of its flowers might shift their fate, and give them a spot in "TV-buddies", their favorite game show.
Trained at ESAV Marrakech and INSAS in Brussels, Alaa Eddine Aljem directed several short films, among them The Desert Fish (2015), which gained great acclaim in the film festival circuit and took the Critics, Screenwriting and Grand Prize at the Moroccan National Film Festival. The Unknown Saint is Aljem’s debut feature. With this project, Aljem participated in the Open Doors Lab at the Locarno Festival, where it won the ICAM award. Aljem also took part in La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde in Cannes in 2016, and in the Sundance Screenwriters' Lab. In 2016, Alaa was named by ‘Screen International’ as one the Five Arab Stars of Tomorrow and the film is selected at the 58th Semaine de la Critique.