Ila akher ezaman (Until the End of Time) Film

Synopsis

At Sidi Boulekbour, staff are awaiting the Ziara, the time of the year during which the families come to visit their dead ones at the cemetery. For Ali, the seventy-year-old gravedigger, this Ziara is the same as every other year, until Joher arrives to visit her sister’s grave. The only thing on Joher’s mind is her preparations to join her sister. She asks Ali for help with the organisation of her own funeral. In the days that follow, Joher is initially reluctant to open up, but gradually, the cemetery becomes the location of a platonic love story, bringing life to this place of death.

 This directorial debut by Yasmina Chouikh was submitted by Algeria as their entry for the Oscars and is a testament to the strong contingent of female directors in the country.