Daughter of Keltoum DVD with Cylia Malki, Baya Belal, Jean-Roger Milo (Unrated) +Movie Reviews

"Happiness Is Coming, Push"

Brian E. Erland | Brea, CA - USA | 03/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Note: French and Arabic with English subtitles.

The '01 film by Mehdi Charef is a superbly conceived, expertly realized film dealing with contemporary angst in isolation. It's a story about a courageous young woman named Rallia (Cylia Malki) and her journey from her home and adoptive family in Geneva, Switzerland to her place of birth in a remote, mountainous region of Algeria in search of a Mother and family she has never known. Arriving at the village of her origin she discovers her Grandfather and crazy Aunt (Baya Belai) but her Mother, Keltoum is nowhere to be found. She is told that Keltoum works in a city some distance away and Rallia and her Aunt go on an illuminating "journey of discovery" to reunite Mother and daughter.

The on-screen relationship between Cylia Malki and Babya Belai is amazinginly touching, moving back and forth between cultural isolation, lighthearted sillyness, vehement hatred and deep longing and emotive expressions of love and tenderness. While the relationship between these two is the basis of the film you'll also find yourself entranced by the barren, empty spaces of the landscape surrounding them and a first rate soundtrack."

Stunning film!

Mark Porter | Oregon, WI USA | 04/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A stunningly beautiful, yet stark film. Transports you to a world few of us know exist, and even fewer will ever visit. The cinematography is amazing, capturing the landscape so dusty you'll sweat and wipe your own brow! And the storyline under it...equally amazing! Characters that seem quite simple yet turn out to be complex with plot twists that sneak up on you. Underlying it all, a place so real, yet so different that it can be difficult to comprehend life there! This is NOT an action movie, think in the spirit of "Waiting for the Moon". Highly recommended!"

A Young Woman's Search For Her Roots

K. Jeannette | Minneapolis, MN USA | 03/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Nineteen-year old Rallia comes from her adoptive home in Switzerland to the Berbers of Algeria to find the mother who abandoned her as a baby. Unlike her childhood dreams of a mountain paradise, she finds a primitive world where the struggle for survival coexists with a patriarchal subjection of women.

The film is a fascinating look at a very different culture and the reaction of European-raised Rallia to it. Although she is often traveling the dusty desert by foot or by bus seeking her birth mother, one doesn't lose interest, because she becomes involved with many people and situations along the way, and we too want her to find her mother and make peace with her biological heritage."

Must See

A. Heifetz | Darien, IL United States | 11/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a hauntingly beautiful film, with a cast of exotic-looking, unforgettable characters. You have to watch it at least twice to notice and appreciate the nuances of the plot. I personally could watch it again and again - it is that good."

Gender Oppression

Amos Lassen | Little Rock, Arkansas | 01/15/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

""The Daughter of Keltoum"

Gender Oppression

Amos Lassen

Rallia is a young woman from Algeria who was raised by adoptive parents in Switzerland, She goes to her homeland to find her real mother, Keltoum, who she believes abandoned her as a child. A bus driver stops for to disembark in a mountainous desert and she meets her grandfather, a gentle old man and a terrified woman who we learn is her mother's sister. However, her mother stays away working in a luxurious hotel. Rallia learns that she comes home once a week. Since she is "home", Rallia begins to take part of her family's life. Her aunt who originally shied away from her becomes her friend and companion.

Rallia waits for her mother to come but when she doesn't, she feeling betrayed by her family decides to leave and go and look for her. She convinces her aunt to go with her and the two women take off on an adventure that is full of danger. Having been raised with European wealth and having taken freedom for granted, Rallia is shocked when she sees and experiences raw Algerian life. She sees a robbery, a childbirth, a woman whose husband left her by the side of the road and male violence toward women, When she finally meets her mother, and the catharsis she feels allows her to sense what humility is all about. Rallia was not only searching for her mother but also to find out why her mother gave her away. We, the viewers see why but it is not certain if Rallia understands. Algeria is a land filled with poverty and women are treated inferiorly. Rallia's aunt, Nejma looks at her niece's upbringing with awe. Nejma seems to have been driven insane by being poor. The only pleasure she has is the occasional visit by Rallia's mother.

The cinematography is stunning and the film says so much about the status of women in the primitive society of North Africa. I understand that even though the film is about Algeria, it was shot in Tunisia. The actors are fine and here is a movie that has a lot to say.

"

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