Waiting for Happiness

A quiet, drifting mosaic of everyday moments that asks you to sit still and piece together its people from glances, rituals and silences.

Directed by

Abderrahmane Sissako

Genres

Drama

Starring

Khatra Ould Abder Kader, Maata Ould Mohamed Abeid, Mohamed Mahmoud Ould

Overview

Before immigrating to the West, Abdallah travels to the coastal city of Nouadhibou, Mauritania, to visit his mother. Although he grew up there, Abdallah feels anything but at home in his old neighborhood: he can no longer speak the local dialect and he wears western clothes that immediately cast him as an outsider. But, as Abdallah spends time with a young boy and an elderly electrician, he can't help but feel a sense of loss for the life he's abandoning.

How it feels

Melancholic, warm, earnest and tense. Slow-burning and demanding.

About

Identity, isolation, immigration, family

Content

Mild sexual content and language. No violence or gore.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)