July Dust

The Hours

December 2002 •English

The story of three women searching for more potent, meaningful lives. Each is alive at a different time and place, all are linked by their yearnings and their fears. Their stories intertwine, and finally come together in a surprising, transcendent moment of shared recognition.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

January 1996 •French

60 years ago, in the Algerian desert, an atomic bomb, equivalent to three or even four times Hiroshima, exploded. Named the “Blue Gerboise”, it was the first atomic bomb tested by France, and of hitherto unrivaled power. This 70 kiloton plutonium bomb was launched in the early morning, in the Reggane region, in southern Algeria, during the French colonial era. If this test allowed France to become the 4th nuclear power in the world, it had catastrophic repercussions. France had, at the time, certified that the radiation was well below the standard safety threshold. However, in 2013, declassified files revealed that the level of radioactivity had been much higher than announced, and had been recorded from West Africa to the south of Spain.

Brûler

April 2020 •English

A short poetic narrative about dealing with separation. Told in French and presented to English audiences without subtitles to leave the characters' feelings up to interpretation.

Persuasion

April 2007 •English

Royal Navy Captain Wentworth was haughtily turned down eight years ago as suitor of pompous baronet Sir Walter Elliot's daughter Anne, despite true love. Now he visits their former seaside country estate, rented by his brother-in-law, Admiral Croft, so the financially stressed baronet can afford a fashionable, cheaper residence in trendy Bath. The former lovers meet again on the estate, where they feel vibes again, but neither dares admit them until it seems too late.

The Doors

March 1991 •English

The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison.

The Brown Bunny

November 2003 •English

Bud Clay races motorcycles in the 250cc Formula II class of road racing. After a race in New Hampshire, he has five days to get to his next race in California. During his road trip, he is haunted by memories of the last time he saw Daisy, his true love.

Return to Reason: Four Films by Man Ray

May 2024 •English

An immersion into the surreal and dreamlike world of painter, photographer and filmmaker Man Ray (1890-1976), one of the most prolific American visual artists, through four of his short films, brought to life by the atmospheric music of SQÜRL.

Enough!

September 2006 •Arabic

Set amidst the civil war of Algeria in the 1990s, Enough! is the story of two women. Emel is a Westerner whose husband, a journalist, is missing - perhaps kidnapped or even killed for articles he's written.

Le Serment

January 1963 •Arabic

The Oath, a TV film produced by Algerian television in 1963 following the end of the war of independence, tells the story of young Algerians who joined the resistance after the bloody repressions of May 1945 in Constantinois by the French colonial army .

The Harem of Madame Osmane

July 2000 •French

In Algiers in 1993, while the civil war is starting, Mrs Osmane's tenants have to endure her bad temper. Her husband left her and the fear to lose her respectability haunt her. The former member of the Resistance during the Independence War persists in controlling the slightest moves of the households rather than struggle against her own frustrations. Learning her daughter is in love, the possibility of finding herself alone will push her to the limit: The symbolical Mrs Osmane "harem" is about to collapse.

Intimate Enemies

October 2007 •French

A drama following a French platoon during Algeria's war of independence.

Electroma

May 2006 •

Two robots embark on a quest to become human.

Mohammad Saadh

March 2023 •Tamil

An Art and a Short Film in which the director records his childhood experiences and memories through the mischievous activities of a boy named Mohammad Saadh.

Mesrine: Killer Instinct

October 2008 •French

Jacques Mesrine, a loyal son and dedicated soldier, is back home and living with his parents after serving in the Algerian War. Soon he is seduced by the neon glamour of sixties Paris and the easy money it presents. Mentored by Guido, Mesrine turns his back on middle class law-abiding and soon moves swiftly up the criminal ladder.

Green is Neutral in a Purple World

October 2023 •English

A queer poet navigates heartbreak through writing, techno, and self-destruction.

A Poem in Love

November 2024 •Chinese

Kang Sai, a reserved and talented artist, has long seen his cheerful friend Xiao Xi as his muse. After college, he journeys to the serene Arxan National Forest Park for inspiration, and Xiao Xi soon joins him. Amidst the stunning landscape that becomes their haven, they face life’s challenges, testing the strength of their bond and the future of their love.

A Son of the Sahara

April 1924 •English

As a boy, Raoul is reared by an Arab tribe in Algerian Sahara. Years later, as a refined Europeanized gentleman, he falls in love with Barbara, an officer's daughter, who rejects him when she discovers his background. Affecting a raid, he captures her and then secretly buys her at a slave auction. When she is rescued by French troops, however, his ancestry is established and they find happiness together.

Monólogos de un hombre incierto

April 2010 •Spanish

Scaffolding

July 2017 •Hebrew

17-year-old Asher is split between his charismatic teacher and his brash father, who wants him to take over his scaffolding business.

Final Round

December 2022 •French

Rachid is a young man who survives in Morroco boxing in clandestine fights in order to save enough money with which to pay a smuggler, and be able to cross the Strait of Gibraltar with his two friends.