Looking forward to happiness

Awards: Best Film at the 2003 Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival French Culture Award for Best Foreign Director of the Year at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival Best Film "Un Certain Regard" at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival Introduction: On the edge of the vast Mauritanian desert lies a seaside town called Nouadhibou. There, 17-year-old Abdallah prepared to visit his mother before moving to Europe. The melancholy young man feels out of place in his hometown; he doesn't speak the local language; he avoids rural customs and traditional festivals; he prefers the latest European styles to traditional clothing. But Abdallah still integrated into this strange environment and the lives of local residents. He meets the sad and charming Nana; the older craftsman Marta; and the optimistic little orphan Catla with thick eyebrows and big eyes. The director's poetic, beautifully photographed film is a meticulously observed and poignant analysis of the conflict between development and tradition.