Six Feet Over
Sofiane leads a dissolute life in Paris, but is at risk of losing his residence permit. In hopes of solving the problem, he gets a job at a Muslim funeral agency, which sets his life on a new course.
For Sofiane, listing the Western countries he has lived in that he would like to be represented by is far easier than telling others where he was born. Unexpectedly, being forced to work at a Muslim funeral home to acquire a work visa is, therefore, quite an unpleasant shock to him. Under the guidance of El Haj, an old, unpleasant man who’s spent years in the field, Sofiane reluctantly steps inside the world of the dead. Faced with the aspects of his own identity that he has tried avoiding, he must face the question of who he really is and whether that is who he wants to be.
Six Feet Over received the Award for Best Screenplay at the Red Sea International Film Festival.
«Six Feet Over is taut with the tension that comes with being a minority in a western country. The clash of culture that Sofiane battles will sharply resonate with those who find themselves walking the tightrope between westernised ideas and Middle Eastern culture.»
– Razmig Bedirian, The National News –
Jenny Lund
Director
Karim Bensalah is a director, writer, and actor. He is a London Film School graduate and has previously directed the shorts Le secret de Fatima (2004) and the award-winning Les heures blanches (2014). Six Feet Over is his feature film debut.
This film is part of
Original title ما فوق الضريح (Fawq al-Ardh Sittah Aqdam/Six Pieds Sur Terre)
Country France, Algeria
Year 2022
Director Karim Bensalah
Screenplay Karim Bensalah, Jamal Belmahi
Cinematography Pierre-Hubert Martin
Producer Oualid Baha
Cast Hamza Meziani, Kader Affak, Souad Arsane, Mostefa Djadjam
Production Company Les Films du Bilboquet, Tact Productions
Distribution The Party Film Sales
Runtime 1h 36m
Language Arabic, French
Subtitles English
Genre Drama
Format DCP
Age limit 12
Links IMDb
This film is in competition for the Audience Award.