A Few Days of Respite (Quelques jours de répit)

Actor-director Amor Hakkar stars as an ageing man torn between a security he has never known and the passionate connection to his younger lover.

After escaping Iran, where their relationship means a death sentence, Hassan and Mohsen make it all the way to France. While stopped over in a small town to await their train to Paris, Mohsen befriends the lonely, but warm, Yolande, who offers him employment, kindness, and the possibility of a peaceful life.

A minimalist film that nevertheless feels visually and emotionally full, without forced sentimentality or manufactured drama, A Few Days of Respite questions the nature of love and happiness and the sacrifices we may make to achieve either.

Nominee Grand Jury Prize, Sundance Film Festival 2011
Official Selection Toronto LGBT Film and Video Festival 2011

Directed by Amor Hakkar, France/Algeria, 2010
French with English subtitles

Duration: 80mins