Nacer Khemir Movies

Director Nacer Khemir traces the profound journey of a young girl and her blind grandfather into the desert as they search for a legendary gathering of elders in an unknown location. Bab'Aziz is a noble dervish who, along with his spirited granddaughter Ishtar, has been invited to attend a special gathering that is said to take place somewhere deep in the dunes of the eternal desert. There are no directions to the location of the gathering, however, as it is said that those who are meant to attend will certainly find their way. As Bab'Aziz and Ishtar set out to find their destiny through the strength of their intuition and the power of their faith, Bab'Aziz imparts the tale of an ancient prince who once made a similar pilgrimage to his beloved granddaughter. Along the way, Ishtar will learn the value of patience, and both will encounter a series of fellow travelers whose remarkable stories help to unlock ancient mysteries and provide a better understanding of their barren kingdom. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Tunisian director Nacer Khemir kick-started his multi-award winning desert trilogy with Al-Haymun (The Wanderers of the Desert). This gentle drama begins with a teacher's arrival in a village school situated in the middle of the desert; he assumes control and administration of the charges, and begins to adjust to life in the region, prompting a slice-of-life portrait of the day-to-day in the Middle East. Khemir, however, intercuts these lyrical observations of the school, the teacher and the various students with startling fantasy elements that pull from centuries of Middle Eastern lore and demonstrate influence by The Arabian Nights. As the narrative rolls forward, mythical characters spring from nearby wells and dunes of sand; the local children scuttle through a strange subterranean labyrinth; an odd ship washes up in the desert; and the teacher treks off to an undefined meeting and never returns. Khemir unexpectedly turns his onscreen landscape into the intersection between the routine day-to-day of desert life and centuries of indigenous legend - giving the story itself a shimmering magic realist quality. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi