Masquerades

Mounir isn't special. He has a family, he has a house, he has a pretty good job as a gardener for the Colonel, and, finally, he has a microwave. It's a good life, but it's not the grand life he dreams about. Mounir's sister, Rym, has dreams too. She dreams of marrying Mounir's best friend Khliffa Рwho also isn't very special Рand of one day overcoming her narcoleptic tendencies and seeing the world. When the siblings' dreams collide, the plot thickens as the family jokingly convinces their small Algerian town that Rym has been promised by her brother to a famous Australian/American/Swede whom no one, not even Mounir, has actually met. Mounir's life seems only to benefit from this fa̤ade, bringing him fame, wealth, and greater privileges than he ever had before. Meanwhile, Rym and Khliffa struggle to obtain Mounir's blessing, challenging many relationships along the way. This film portrays the damage that reputation, greed, and gossip can have on relationships, but proves that when love is true, there is no stopping it. It is an endearing tale of betrayal and dishonesty, yet told with a sense of humor and satire. What makes MASQUERADES timeless are its characters, who are charming in a way that is genuinely refreshing. (In Arabic with subtitles) РM.M.