A Few Days of Respite backdrop

A Few Days of Respite 2011 Directed by Amor Hakkar Quelques jours de répit

Mohsen teaches French at the University of Tehran, and Hassan is a photographer. Mohsen and Hassan are also lovers, and in Iran they live in fear, as homosexuality is punishable by death. Tired of denying their love, Mohsen and Hassan flee Iran to head to Paris, where they'll be illegal aliens but can at least live openly as a couple. To avoid arousing suspicion until they arrive in Paris, Mohsen and Hassan keep their distance while traveling, and during a train stop, Mohsen helps a sixty-ish women, Yolande, with her luggage. The two strike up a conversation and she clearly enjoys his company; over dinner, she offers to help him find work in town and let him stay at her apartment. It's clear to Yolande that Mohsen is an illegal immigrant, but she doesn't realize that he's gay, and he finds himself wondering if he should stay with Hassan or live with Yolande, where he would not have love but would enjoy safety, security and could easily become a French citizen through marriage.

Country France
Production Countries Algeria , France
Language French
Spoken Language French
Gnere Drama
Release Date 27 April 2011
79 mins
Cast
Marina Vlady Yolande
Amor Hakkar Moshen
Shimon Ben Lulu People smuggler
Yves Grenard Old man on the tracks
Sarah Hakkar Little girl at the station
Kim Nezzar Little girl's father
Wahila Aïb Little girl's mother
Julia Rousseau SNCF ticket office clerk
Noël Bourdin Taxi driver Andelot
Jonathan Meyer SNCF controller
Alan Anderson Bartender
Annette Mermet "Solidarité Monde" volunteer (voice)
Hélène Jouie "Solidarité Monde" volunteer (voice)
Eric Legoff Photographer
David Niault Hotel receptionist
Jean-Hugues Marguier Waltzer, lookalike of Moshen
Crew
Director