Sofiane (Hamza Meziani)’s life revolves around the typical student attractions of young people in their 20s, enjoying nightlife, bar hopping, and engaging in sensual pursuits. The son of a former Algerian diplomat, Sof, as he wants to be called, likes to play the cosmopolitan card when prompted about his origins: his expatriate upbringing has earned him a citizen-of-the world pass and home is equally New York City, Italy, or anywhere else his path might have crossed on the map. He is, however, very keen to distance himself from his Algerian heritage and devotes particular attention not to be mixed up with other Algerians living in France, a population towards whom he cultivates an unhidden sense of superiority.
Having missed most of his classes and exams at university, his French residency is not renewed and he is given 30 days to leave the territory, after which he would become an illegal, undocumented immigrant, unless he finds a job. Given the urgency, Sof has no other choice but to accept employment at his father’s relative’s Muslim burial house, where he will accompany El Haj (Mostafa DjamDjam), a mysterious, taciturn character, in his burial rituals. Little by little, a whole new, unexpected universe opens up before Sof, which summons him to reconsider his cultural and social affiliations, and to reflect upon his own journey thus far.
The viewer is able to follow the multi-layered path of Sof’s growth and process of mental maturation while he attempts to reckon with his own past: his mother’s passing while he was young, his turbulent relationship with his father and siblings, the way he is perceived by a potential lover who ends up orientalising him, his relationship with the diverse Muslim community and the role he plays in washing their corpses, his growing mentee relationship with El Haj…all these delineate individual threads which taken together, draw a complete, rounded portrait of a young man’s efforts to speak truth to one’s self.
The strength of this coming-of-age film undeniably lies in its ability to weave imbricated stories posited at the juncture between personal narratives and the common theme of belonging, while superbly managing to navigate the complexity of identity and identitarian discourse, without ever falling into the easy trap of stereotyping. Unlike many other films tackling such themes, Six Feet Over represents a reconciliation with one’s multiple beings in the form of a poetic and at times, comical ode. The film won the Silver Yusr for Best Screenplay at the Red Sea International Film Festival in 2023.
Six Feet Over (Karim Bensalah, France, 2023, 96 min.)
