Abel Jafri

Talk of living wages and religious observances upsets the delicate accord between the boss of a run-down truck yard and his workers in this visually arresting take on the French-Algerian immigrant experience (imdb)

Just out of prison, Kamel is deported to his home country, Algeria, where he is obliged to observe with lucidity a country undergoing rapid change, torn between a desire for modernity and respecting tradition. (rottentomatoes.com)

No more music, no tea, no cigarettes, no bright colors, no laughs. The women have become shadows. The religious fundamentalists are spreading terror in the region. In the dunes, away from the chaos, Kidane enjoys a quiet life. But his peace is short-lived. Kidane must face the law of the new foreign rulers determined to defeat an open and tolerant Islam. Against the humiliations and acts of brutality, Timbuktu tells of the struggle of the people, and the uncertain future of the children. (festival-cannes.fr)