The destinies of a teenage Moroccan immigrant and a young adult from “native” Quebec intersect at the bend of an existence marked on both sides by frustration. They will find themselves facing each other, in a situation from which no one will come out unscathed.
There is a bit of Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee) in this fourth feature film by Onur Karaman (Where Attila passes, The guilty). A bit of’Antigone (Sophie Deraspe) too. The fact is that the Quebec filmmaker tackles frontally the effects of the precariousness experienced by those who, coming from here or elsewhere, must survive daily in a world where they find no place.
Beyond a story of intolerance between immigrants wanting to integrate and unemployed “native” Quebecers who hold foreigners responsible for all their setbacks, Breathe quite skilfully exposes the mechanisms by which a situation can degenerate. And how the muted violence suffered by people at school, at work and in everyday life can, by dint of accumulation, take on an explosive character.
Onur Karaman, who signs the script for his film alone, orchestrates his demonstration through the journey of Fouad (Amedamine Ouerghi), a teenager of Moroccan origin, and Max (Frédéric Lemay), a young adult whose life is chaotic, in terms of both sentimental and professional. The first, a student passionate about soccer, also helps his father (Mohammed Marouazi) at the restaurant where the latter works as a food worker, despite his engineering degree obtained in his country of origin. For his part, Max still lives with his mechanic father (Roger Léger), a modest man who always tries to temper things a little, especially with a rough-hewn mechanic nephew (Guillaume Laurin).
Carried by an excellent ensemble cast, the portrait that the filmmaker paints, devoid of sensationalism, remains credible, although certain dramatic springs may turn out to be superfluous. Some replies – very hard-hitting – also echo a social tension felt on both sides as soon as the question of immigration and the petty ordinary racism that results from it is raised. Visibly achieved with modest means, Breathe does not always have the means to match its ambitions, but it has the merit of exposing a reality experienced from within and of arousing reflection.
Prize for best Quebec film at the Cinemania festival, this feature film is currently showing.
Indoors
Drama
Breathe
Onur Karaman
With Amedamine Ouerghi, Frédéric Lemay, Mohammed Marouazi
1:30 a.m.