Avis des critiques

Barakah embodies an all-too common "I was born in the wrong era" sentiment (check Twitter's search engine for evidence), unfavourably (and simply) comparing the current state of Saudi Arabia to his father's seemingly more artistic and prosperous generation. Seriousness and sweetness coexist here, and it speaks to Sabbagh's talent that he can finally administer such a light touch to a movie whose romantic leads so self-consciously bear the burdens of generational and national identity.

Already named Saudi Arabia's foreign language Oscar submission, the independently financed, satirical comedy "Barakah Meets Barakah" from debuting writer-director Mahmoud Sabbagh is a smart, charming, and bittersweet tale about the Kingdom's millennial generation and their take on the social and political restrictions that stand in the way of meeting and mingling with the opposite sex.

Surely one of the more conventional films ever to enjoy a premiere at the Berlinale's risk-embracing Forum parallel section, it's of considerable interest as a very rare cinematic export from a country where nearly all manifestations of cinema have been officially banned since 1979. A suitable pick for any festival or platform favoring human-rights themes, this easygoing crowd-pleaser is automatically rendered rich and strange by its unlikely origins.