Mariner of the Mountains

Karim Aïnouz was born and raised in Brazil; his father came from the Kabylia mountains of Algeria. The director travels there for the first time and narrates the journey as a letter written to his mother Iracema, who has died. It begins like a search for identity and does not deliver that: in his father's country the man keeps recognising his mother in everything he sees. The camera is handheld, the image mostly raw, and the narration carries the film. Its best perception is that belonging attaches to a person rather than to a place. Algeria's recent history, independence and emigration all enter the account. It played in the special screenings section at Cannes in 2021. Who it is for: viewers who like personal documentary and films thinking about migrant identity. Who it is not for: anyone wanting an informative portrait of a country, since this is subjective throughout.