Once Upon a Time in the Oued

A breezy, good-natured culture-clash romp that coasts on silly misunderstandings and sunny holiday energy.

Directed by

Djamel Bensalah

Genres

Comedy

Starring

Julien Courbey, Sid Ahmed Agoumi, David Saracino

Overview

In 1988, Johnny Leclerc, the son of a Norman mother and an Alsatian father, lives in a suburban housing estate with his friends. He behaves like a Muslim, observes Ramadan and wears a djelaba. He's even convinced that his name is Abdelbachir and that he was born in a small village in the bled. When his friend Yacine gets into trouble with a local kaid and decides to return to Algeria for the vacations, he smuggles himself into the Sabri family's luggage to fulfill his dream and finally get to know his "roots". As soon as he arrived on the Algerian coast, Johnny felt right at home. But Yacine is opposed to his father, who wants to arrange his marriage.

How it feels

Light, absurd, warm and satirical. Brisk and easy to follow.

About

Identity, family, friendship, coming-of-age

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)