The Secret of the Grain

This film tells a simple story on the importance of a family and the survival route taken by a North African immigrant and his family in the French port city of Sete.

When Slimane (Habib), a 61-year-old dockyard worker loses his job he wanted to test his entrepreneurial skills. He decides to turn his freighter into an eatery with his former-wife’s mullet couscous as the main menu. However, this does not go well with both his ex-wife and his current mistress. In the midst of this, the bureaucrats want their own piece of cake. It is then his mistress’ daughter steps in to bail him out by organising a sacrificial party for potential investors and the city’s big shots.

The fun in watching this film is the raw and realism look to the film. The dinner scenes are so real that you can feel the under current in the protagonists characters. Winning four Cesars, which is the equivalent of the Oscar in France, the film also manages to be both a tribute to women and a cultural commentary. The women in this film are portrayed as strong as the men. In fact, sometimes more passionate than the men.

The long extended shots make the film extremely slow moving. But after sitting through each scene you’ll feel that you have not wasted your time over them.

This powerful tale on food, fortitude and emotions bring back the feel good factor in human relationship
-----------------------------------
French (With English subtitle)
Cast: Habib Boufares, Hafsia Herzi, Farida Benkhetache
Director: Adellatif Kechiche